FROM   THE  LIBRARY  OF 
REV.   LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON,  D.  D, 

BEQUEATHED    BY   HIM   TO 

THE   LIBRARY  OF 

PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


Section       *f£>5    ( 


HINTS 


CONCERNING 


CHURCH    MUSIC, 


LITURGY, 


AND 


KINDRED     SUBJECTS 


PREPARED   BY 

JAMES  M.  HEWINS. 


BOSTON: 
IDE     &    DUTTON, 

106  Washington  Street. 

1856. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1856, 

BY    JAMES    M.    HEWINS, 

In  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


WILLIAM   A.   HALL,   PKINTER, 

22   School  Street. 


AN  APOLOGY. 


The  thoughts,  so  briefly  and  imperfectly  set  forth  in  the 
pages  following,  were  chiefly  conceived  in  order  to  a  series 
of  letters  to  the  late  and  lamented  Dr.  Alexander  Young. 
This  design  having  been  suddenly  frustrated,  they  were 
next  partly  published  in  the  columns  of  the  "  Evening 
Transcript;  "  but  finding  that  the  subject  was  outgrowing 
the  space  usually  allotted  to  such  articles,  and  by  the 
solicitation  of  gentlemen  who  desired  that  it  should  be 
presented  in  a  more  substantial  manner,  it  was  decided 
to  give  it  in  this  form. 

Disclaiming  all  pretensions  at  book-making,  and  having 
no  desire  to  play  variations  upon,  or  to  give  feeble  dilutions 
of  the  works  of  others,  I  have  been  studious  to  say  nothing 
myself  when  I  could  find  another  to  speak  for  me. 

Whatever  opinions  my  few  readers  may  entertain  con- 
cerning these  pages,  one  thing  only  will  I  demand  of 
them,  which  is,  that  they  allow  me  the  merit  of  a  good 
intention. 

J.  M.  H. 

Boston,  April,  1856. 


TABLE  OF  PRINCIPAL  TOPICS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Value  of  Church  Music. — The  excellency  of  Praise  compared 
with  Prayer. — Of  Psalms  and  Hymns. 

CHAPTER  II. 

Bad  Poetry  indues  bad  Music. — The  pernicious  Style  now  in 
vogue  throughout  America. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Abuses  of  Music  in  the  Episcopal  Church. — General  remarks  on 
the  Secular  Style.— Of  Organs  and  Organ-playing. — The  Church 
not  a  house  of  Entertainment. — Dr.  Crotch  on  different  Styles. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

The  true  Style  Considered. — The  old  English  Composers. — The 
opinions  of  Mr.  Havergal,  Dr.  Watts,  and  Mr.  Cope. 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  bad  Influence  of  Modern  Italian  Music. — Pythagoras,  Aris- 
totle, and  Quintillian. — The  Rise  of  the  Musical  Pitch. 
1* 


VI  PRINCIPAL    TOPICS, 


CHAPTER   VI. 


Extravagant  and  Fashionable  Patronage  of  Foreign  Music. — 
Addison's  Opinions. — Italian  Music  unsuited  to  our  Language. 
— Evil  Consequences  of  the  Study  of  it. — Popish  Masses. — The 
Excellency  of  Handel. — Mr.  Hogarth's  remarks. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Modern  German  Music. — Chorley's  Criticisms. — Transcendental 
Nonsense. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Down-hill  progress  of  Modern  German  Music. — Chorley's  Recol- 
lections.— Chromatic  Character  of  Vocal  Music. — Sentence  of  Tim- 
otheus. — Sound  not  a  sure  Medium  of  Expression. — "  Young 
German  "  fallacies  and  nonsense. — Handel  Unknown  in  Germany. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

What  we  Americans  want. — Abuses  in  the  Church  of  England. — 
Reformation  and  Restoration  of  Church  Music. — Remarks  of  Rev. 
J.  W.  Twist,  Dr.  Burney,  Dr.  Bisse,  and  Dr.  Crotch. 

CHAPTERS  X.  AND  XI. 

Of  the  want  of  a  Liturgy  ;  with  incidental  remarks. — Elegant 
extracts  from  Eminent  Writers. — Of  Puritanism. — The  abuse  of 
the  Liturgy,  &c,  &c. — Dr.  Bisse  and  Jeremy  Taylor. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Of  Congregational  and  Choir  Singing. 


HINTS    CONCERNING 


CHURCH    MUSIC 


CHAPTER    I. 

Since  the  Creation,  music  has  always  held  a 
prominent  place  in  the  public  worship  of  Jeho- 
vah, and  the  devout  and  intelligent  of  all  ages 
have  been  loud  in  their  praises  of  divine  song. 
Luther,  who  knew  the  value  and  power  of  it, 
on  the  seventeenth  of  December,  1538,  invited 
the  singers  and  musicians  to  a  supper,  where 
they  sung  "fair  and  sweet  Motetae."  Then  he 
said  with  admiration : — "  Seeing  our  Lord  God 
in  this  life  shaketh  out  and  presenteth  unto  us 
such  precious  gifts,  what  then  will  be  done  in  the 
life  everlasting  ?  "  In  all  times  it  has  been  held  in 
the  highest  estimation ;  and  any  encomiums  upon 
it  at  this  late  day,  after  all  that  has  been  written  by 
the  greatest  and  wisest  of  kings,  philosophers, 
scholars,  and  divines,  would  be  presumptuous. 
The  character,  quality,  and  propriety  of  church 
music,  however,  are  proper  subjects  for  the  earnest 


8  HINTS     CONCERNLM. 

consideration  of  all  who  value  public  worship,  and 
especially  so  in  this  country,  where  devotional 
music  is  but  little  known  and  seldom  heard,  and 
where,  perhaps,  not  above  a  dozen  sound  church 
musicians  can  be  found. 

Plato  wished  that  no  other  music  but  that  of  the 
temple  should  be  heard  by  either  gods  or  men. 

St.  Augustine  speaks  of  his  delight  on  hearing 
the  psalms  and  hymns  sung,  at  his  first  entrance 
into  the  church.  "  The  voices  flowed  in  at  my 
ears,  truth  was  distilled  in  my  heart ;  and  the  affec- 
tion of  piety  overflowed  in  sweet  tears  of  joy." 

St.  Luke  says,  they  were  continually  in  the  tern- 
pie,  praising  and  blessing  God. 

Doctor  Bisse,  on  the  excellency  of  praise  com- 
pared with  prayer,  says : 

"Let  us  consider  the  excellency  of  praise  and  thanks- 
giving, above  and  before,  though  not  exclusive  of,  prayers, 
supplications,  and  intercessions.  These  are,  we  know  and 
profess,  all  necessary  offices,  and  ought  to  be  found  in  all 
Christian  liturgies,  being  commanded  by  the  Apostle ;  but 
then  each,  as  he  commands  also,  must  be  joined  with  thanks- 
giving. This  excellency  will  appear  by  viewing  the  differ- 
ence of  their  subjects ;  for  most  different  they  are 

"  The  worship  of  the  Church  triumphant  is  wholly  made 
up  of  hymns,  those  songs  of  praise  for  what  they  enjoy,  and 
of  thanksgiving  for  what  is  passed,  without  any  mixture  of 
supplications.  For  why  ?  their  wants  and  wickedness,  which 
are  the  subjects  of  them,  are  ceased :  all  the  evils  which 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  V 

fill  the  litanies  of  the  Church  militant,  are  passed  away. 
Praise  ceaseth  not  with  this  state  of  mortality,  like  the 
others,  but  will  accompany  the  saints  into  heaven,  even  as 
charity  will. 

"  Upon  this  account  the  Christian  Church,  even  though 
militant  here  on  earth,  hath  in  all  ages  made  the  greatest 
part  of  her  public  worship  to  consist  of  praise.  Psalms, 
hymns,  and  doxologies,  all  being  songs  of  praise,  fill  up  the 
liturgies  of  the  ancient  Church,  as  far  as  can  be  judged 
from  the  remains  and  ruins  of  them." 

Mr.  Jennings,  in  his  admirable  lecture  on  the 
decline  of  music,  (D  wight's  Jour.  Music,  Vol.  I.) 
ascribes  the  low  state  of  church  music  to  the  de- 
cline of  reverence ;  which  is,  doubtless,  one  of  the 
immediate  causes.  The  fundamental  causes  of  the 
pernicious  style  which  prevails  in  this  country,  are 
the  influence  of  Puritanism,  and  the  want  of  suita- 
ble musical  instruction  in  our  colleges.  The  Con- 
gregational churches  have  sought  to  diversify  the 
barrenness  of  Puritanical  worship  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  vain  and  trivial  poetry ;  from  which  cause 
church  music  has  suffered  more  than  from  any 
other.  Young  clergymen,  who  are  ignorant  of 
music,  often  seek  to  establish  their  fame,  and 
perchance  their  pockets,  by  "getting  up"  a  new 
collection  of  hymns.  Then  what  a  passion  for 
original  hymns.  For  an  ordination  or  dedication, 
some  young  lawyer,  or  newspaper  poetess  of  the 


10  HINTS     CONCERNING 

parish  is  engaged  to  write  a  hymn ;  which  usually 
begins  with  a  high-sounding  address  to  the  Deity, 
and  then  it  is  all  over.  The  multiplicity  of  these 
productions  shows  how  fickle  and  unsatisfactory 
they  are.  If  one  enters  a  strange  church,  all  is 
new ;  the  power  of  youthful  association  is  lost. 

Many  of  our  hymns  (so  called)  are  in  the  same 
philosophic,  reasoning  strain  as  the  Odes  of  Hor- 
ace ;  and  doubtless  much  of  the  poetry  offered  to 
the  heathen  gods,  was  superior  to  some  that  is  now 
found  in  our  Christian  temples.  We  have  in  mind 
certain  hymns,  which  seem  to  be  modeled  upon 
the  following  ode,  by  Horace : 

"  The  just  who  firmly  keeps  his  destined  course, 
No  tyrant's  threat'ning  frowns  control, 
No  crowd's  unjust  demands  can  force, 
Or  shake  the  steady  purpose  of  his  soul." 

"  There  are  many  decent  and  correct  compositions,"  says 
an  able  writer,  "  in  good  regular  metre,  which  it  would  be 
ridiculous  to  sing.  We  have  heard  pious  meditations, 
religious  reasonings  on  doubtful  points,  and  doctrinal  expo- 
sitions of  Scripture,  sung  loudly  by  congregations  of  well- 
meaning  people,  with  instrumental  accompaniments.  But 
if  they  had  reflected  a  little,  they  would  certainly  have 
found  that  the  subject  and  tenor  of  such  compositions  are 
naturally  opposed  to  singing  ;  that  if  a  man  were  really  and 
seriously  occupied  with  such  matters  as  the  hymn  implies, 
he  would  not  be  disposed  to  sing  at  all,  but  to  be  silent  and 
think." 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  11 

The  compilers  of  our  modern  hymn-books  seem 
to  be  inexcusably  ignorant  of  their  subject.  A 
hymn  is  an  address  to  the  Almighty,  while  devo- 
tional poetry  may  be  a  very  different  affair,  and  in 
many  of  the  productions  in  question,  there  is  no 
allusion  to  God.  They  are  wholly  wanting  in 
dignity,  unity  and  simplicity  of  design.  Ideas  of 
the  most  heterogeneous  kind  are  often  crowded 
into  the  same  hymn,  the  accentuation  of  which  is 
quite  as  various ;  whilst  obscurity,  and  novelty  of 
expression,  ugly  or  uncouth  combinations  of  words, 
(e.g.,  "  The  beautiful  vicissitude,")  and  irregularity 
of  metre  render  them  as  fit  for  the  comic  almanac 
as  for  the  church.  Any  attempt  to  add  music  to 
or  to  sing  such  poetry,  only  makes  it  the  more 
ridiculous.  Sometimes,  not  an  idea  develops  be- 
fore the  middle  of  the  second  verse,  whereas  every 
line  should  be  perfect  in  itself,  and  have  a  satis- 
factory close,  like  a  strain  of  music.  Monosyllables 
should  be  freely  used,  and  the  whole  sentiment  of 
the  hymn  so  uniform  that  it  may  be  expressed  by 
one  common  tune.  From  the  few  ancient  metres, 
the  common  and  short  being  the  best,  the  number 
has  now  been  swelled  to  at  least  one  hundred  and 
twenty!  some  of  which  are  as  irregular  as  the 
price-current  in  the  newspapers.  Quite  a  variety  of 
them  are  marked  "  P*  M.,"  notwithstanding  they 


12  HINTS     CONCERNING 

are  of  no  particular  metre.  u  To  prayer,  to  prayer ! 
for  the  morning  breaks,"  is  a  specimen  of  this  sort. 
Descriptive  poetry  is  also  bad,  because  there  are 
few  things  in  nature  which  music  is  capable  of 
imitating.  That  pretty  little  poem,  "How  blest 
the  righteous  when  he  dies,"  ought  never  to  be 
obtruded  into  the  church.  Metrical  hymns  should 
be  hymns  of  praise,  or  at  least  of  mingled  prayer 
and  praise ;  not  little  metrical  prayers,  ballads,  odes 
or  romances.  A  clear  distinction  is  made  between 
prayer  and  praise.  "  Is  any  among  you  afflicted  ? 
let  him  pray,"  &c.  "  And  at  midnight  Paul  and 
Silas  prayed,  and  sang  praises  unto  God." 

"  St.  Augustine  defines  hymns  to  be  praises  offered  to 
God  with  singing.  '  Hymns,'  says  that  holy  doctor,  '  are 
none  other  than  songs  which  contain  the  praise  of  God. 
If  it  be  praise,  and  not  of  God,  it  will  not  be  a  hynin ;  if 
it  be  to  the  praise  of  God  and  is  not  sung,  it  will  not  be  a 
hymn.  To  make  a  hymn  it  is  necessary  three  things  should 
be  united :  praise  —  the  praise  of  God  —  and  singing." 

How  can  any  man  be  so  stupid  as  to  prefer 
these  modern  compositions  to  the  divine  canticles 
of  the  royal  Psalmist?  Christ  and  the  Apostles 
chanted  David's  psalms  ;  and  if  metrical  poetry  be 
desirable,  the  best  version  of  these  psalms  forms 
an  ample  stock  for  all  time. 

But  we  may  flatter  ourselves  that  this  evil  will 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  13 

soon  be  checked.  The  material  is  waxing  scarce 
- — the  British  poets,  magazines,  &c,  have  been 
pretty  thoroughly  ransacked  and  pillaged.  Clergy- 
men, in  some  quarters,  have  now  betaken  them- 
selves to  the  chaotic  practice  of  framing  liturgies ; 
in  which,  if  they  do  not  succeed  better  than  they 
have  in  hymnology,  they  will  shed  no  lustre  on 
their  own  names,  and  will  but  disgrace  the  church. 

We  know  what  sort  of  hymns  inspired  the 
Apostles  and  Fathers,  —  the  "Gloria in  Excelsis," 
"  Benedieite,"  "  Te  Deum  Laudamus,"  "  Magni- 
ficat," "Nunc  Dimmittis,"  &c,  —  these  are  the 
models,  some  of  which,  for  fifteen  hundred  years, 
have  exalted  the  hearts  of  men  throughout  Chris- 
tendom, and  which  will  continue  long  after  the 
rhyming  compositions  of  this  generation  have  been 
destroyed  by  the  rats  in  the  garret. 

To  the  ancient  hymns  of  the  church  might  be 
added  great  numbers  of  supplicatory,  scriptural 
anthems,  with  music  the  most  heavenly  and  devo- 
tional, adapted  to  the  sentiment.  These  anthems, 
with  some  of  the  apostolic  hymns,  are  most  un- 
happily excluded  from  the  Prayer-book,  in  this 
country. 

Addison  says : 

"  There  is  no  passion  that  is  not  finely  expressed  in  those 
parts  of  the  inspired  writings  which  are  proper  for  divine 


14  HINTS     CONCERNING 

songs  and  anthems.  There  is  a  certain  coldness  and  indif- 
ference in  the  phrases  of  our  language,  when  compared  with 
the  oriental  forms  of  speech.  There  is  something  so  pathetic 
in  this  kind  of  diction,  that  it  often  sets  the  mind  in  a 
flame,  and  makes  our  hearts  burn  within  us.  How  cold 
and  dead  does  a  prayer  appear,  that  is  composed  in  the  most 
elegant  and  polite  forms  of  speech  which  are  natural  to  our 
tongue,  when  it  is  not  heightened  by  that  solemnity  of 
phrase  which  may  be  drawn  from  the  sacred  writings!  It 
has  been  said  by  some  of  the  ancients,  that  if  the  gods  were 
to  talk  with  men,  they  would  certainly  speak  in  Plato's 
style;  but  I  think  we  may  say,  with  justice,  that  when 
mortals  converse  with  their  Creator,  they  can  not  do  it  in 
so  proper  a  style  as  in  that  of  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

"  Since  we  have,  therefore,  such  a  treasury  of  words,  so 
beautiful  in  themselves,  and  so  proper  for  the  airs  of  music, 
I  can  not  but  wonder  that  persons  of  distinction  should  give 
so  little  attention  and  encouragement  to  that  kind  of  music 
which  would  have  its  foundation  in  reason,  and  which  would 
improve  our  virtue  in  proportion  as  it  raises  our  delight." 

Some  of  the  worst  selections  have  been  made 
from  the  works  of  Bo  wring.  Surely,  the  church 
ought  not  to  rob  the  world  of  all  the  pretty  poetry. 

In  this  connection,  let  us  ask  those  who  object 
to  that  very  solemn  and  impressive  mode  of  inton- 
ing prayers  to  the  plain  chant,  (which  is  only  a 
solemn  way  of  speaking,)  how  they  like  rhyming 
prayers ;  prayers  in  common  and  long  metre,  and 
sung  to  a  fashionable  operatic  melody?  is  there 
any  thing  absurd  in  this? 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  15 

Bui,  seeing  that  the  ordinary  speaking  is  suffi- 
ciently audible  in  our  little  meeting-houses ;  and 
that  those  monuments  of  piety,  the  English  cathe- 
drals, are  not  likely  to  be  repeated  in  this  country, 
and  in  this  utilitarian  and  secular  age,  we  need  not 
fret  ourselves  about  intoning  the  prayers. 

But  what  shall  be  said  of  the  sacrilegious  hands 
that  have  mutilated  the  "  Te  Deum,"  and  abolished 
that  best  of  all  glorifications,  the  "  Gloria  Patri  ?  " 
Who  but  a  musical  ignoramus,  would  think  of  sub- 
stituting such  clumsy  words  as  "  immortal,"  "  in- 
visible," &c,  and  that,  on  account  of  a  theological 
quibble.  A  man,  who  could  alter  these  apostolic 
hymns,  surrounded  as  they  are  by  all  the  tradition- 
ary charms  of  antiquity,  might  almost  be  sus- 
pected of  burning  a  church.  Who  are  these  liberal 
Christians,  who  thus  utter  a  lie  on  the  Lord's 
day,  and  in  His  temple  ? 

The  Arians  altered  the  hymn  of  glory  or  "  Glo- 
ria Patri,"  as  early  as  the  year  three  hundred  and 
forty-nine.  "  In  the  choirs  of  Antioch,  while  they 
praised  God  as  the  manner  was,  at  the  end  of 
the  psalms  which  they  sung,  some  glorified  the 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost,  and  some  the  Father 
by  the  Son,  in  the  Spirit ;  whereupon  a  jar  ensued 
in  the  Church." 

There  is  one  very  foolish  custom  to  be  corrected, 


16  HINTS     CONCERNING 

viz.,  that  of  reading  the  hymn  before  it  is  sung. 
This  was  very  well  with  the  Puritans,  when  one- 
book  served  the  whole  congregation,  but  now  it  is 
only  a  vain  repetition.  Why  should  a  hymn  be 
sung  after  it  has  been  said  ? 

Some  assert  (in  support  of  hymnology)  that  St. 
Ambrose  composed  hymns  for  the  people.  This 
is  true ;  but  then  they  were  hymns  of  praise  to 
God.  The  Fathers  adopted  many  of  the  Pagan 
customs,  in  order  to  interest  the  people  in  the  new 
religion ;  hence  we  have  at  the  Christmas  season 
the  evergreens,  in  imitation  of  the  feast  of  Bacchus. 
Origen,  one  of  the  Fathers^  says : — "  We  sang 
hymns  to  none  but  the  Supreme  Being,  and  to  his 
only  Son,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  pagans  sing 
to  the  sun,  moon,  stars,  and  all  the  heavenly  host." 

Local  and  politic  exceptions  like  these  must  not 
be  cited  in  support  of  a  custom  which  is  contrary 
to  the  general  practice  of  both  Jews  and  Chris- 
tians, and  which  is  not  founded  in  reason.  The 
door  being  once  opened,  what  is  to  restrain  or 
regulate  the  evil  ? 

The  hymns  used  by  the  early  Christians  were 
in  prose,  and  not  in  rhyme  ;  and  it  is  quite  certain 
that  St.  Ambrose,  Ignatius,  and  many  others  did 
compose  hymns  in  great  numbers  for  the  use  oi 
the  early  Christians ;  but.  then  they  were  not  in- 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  17 

tended  for  the  regular  services  of  the  church,  and 
excepting  some  of  the  greater  hymns,  as  the  "  Te 
Deum  Laudamus,"  &c,  were  only  designed  for 
occasional  and  private  use.  "  Tertullian  speaks  of 
husbands  and  wives  singing  psalms  and  hymns 
together,  mutually  provoking  one  another,  and  striv- 
ing who  should  make  the  sweetest  melody  to  their 
God."  "  And  there  is  no  doubt,"  says  Bingham? 
"  but  that  this  private  psalmody  was  an  imitation 
of  the  public  psalmody  of  the  church."  These 
hymns  were  also  used  before  and  after  the  celebra- 
tion of  public  worship,  and  between  the  regular 
services.  Such  hymns  were  given  to  the  people 
in  order  to  inspire  them  when  compassed  with 
perils. 

•■  When  we  consider,"  says  Bingham,  "  that  the  Early 
Christians  spent  whole  days  and  nights  almost  in  psalmody ; 
as  when  St.  Ambrose's  church  was  beset  with  the  Arian 
soldiers,  the  people  within  continued  the  whole  night  and 
day  in  singing  psalms,  it  will  be  easy  to  imagine  that  at 
such  times  they  did  not  sing  appropriated  psalms,  but  enter- 
tained themselves  with  such  as  the  Bishop  then  occasion- 
ally appointed.  '  Psalmody  was  their  exercise  at  all  times 
in  the  church,'  as  St.  Austin  notes,  '  to  fill  up  all  vacuities.' 
And  upon  this  account  (if  the  observation  of  L'Estrange 
be  rightly  made  out  of  Chrysostom,)  the  people  were  used 
to  entertain  the  time  with  singing  of  psalms  before  the  con- 
gregation was  complete  and  fully  assembled." 
2* 


18  HINTS     CONCERNING 

The  Rev.  W.  Romaine,  in  his  "  Essay  on  Psal- 
mody," thus  discourses  of  modern  hymns  : 

"  There  is  another  thing  relating  to  the  psalms,  I  can  not 
tell  it  an  abuse,  for  it  is  a  total  neglect  of  them.  They  are 
quite  rejected  in  some  congregations,  as  if  there  were  no 
such  hymns  given  by  the  inspiration  of  God,  and  as  if  they 
were  not  left  for  the  use  of  the  church,  and  to  be  sung  in 
the  congregation.  Man's  poetry  is  exalted  above  the  poetry 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.     Is  this  right  ?  .  .  .  . 

"  I  know  this  is  a  sore  place,  and  I  would  touch  it  gently, 
as  gently  as  I  can  with  any  hope  of  doing  good.  The  value 
of  poems  above  psalms  is  become  so  great,  and  the  singing 
of  men's  words,  so  as  to  quite  cast  out  the  word  of  God,  is 
become  so  universal,  (except  in  the  Church  of  England,) 
that  one  scarce  dare  speak  upon  the  subject ;  neither  would 
I,  having  already  met  with  contempt  enough  for  preferring 
God's  hymns  to  man's  hymns,  if  a  high  regard  for  God's 
most  blessed  word  did  not  require  me  to  bear  my  testi- 
mony  

"  Let  me  observe,  then,  that  I  blame  nobody  for  singing 
human  compositions.  I  do  not  think  it  sinful  or  unlawful, 
so  the  matter  be  scriptural.  My  complaint  is  against  pre- 
ferring men's  poems  to  the  good  word  of  God,  and  prefer- 
ring them  to  it  in  the  church.  I  have  no  quarrel  with 
Dr.  Watts,  or  any  living  or  dead  versifier.  I  would  not 
wish  all  their  poems  burnt.  My  concern  is  to  see  Christian 
congregations  shut  out  divinely  inspired  psalms,  and  take  in 
Dr.  Watts'  flights  of  fancy  ;  as  if  the  words  of  a  poet  were 
better  than  the  words  of  a  prophet,  or  as  if  the  wit  of  a 
man  were  to  be  preferred  to  the  wisdom  of  God.  When 
the  church  is  met  together  in  one  place,  the  Lord  has  made 
a  provision  for  their  songs  of  praise  —  a  large  collection  and 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  19 

a  great  variety.  I  speak  not  of  private  people,  or  of  pri- 
vate singing,  but  of  the  church  in  its  public  service.  "Why 
should  Dr.  Watts,  or  any  hymn-maker,  not  only  take  pre- 
cedence of  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  also  thrust  him  entirely  out 
of  the  church  ?  Insomuch  that  the  rhymes  of  a  man  are 
magnified  above  the  word  of  God.  If  this  be  right,  men 
and  brethren,  judge  ye." 

Some  of  our  hymns  (so  called)  are  not  intended 
as  an  offering  of  praise  to  God,  but  are  only  used 
as  poetical  illustrations  of  the  sermon  —  a  kind  of 
punning,  so  to  speak.  The  parson,  therefore,  in- 
stead of  saying,  '  let  us  sing  to  the  praise  and  glory 
of  God,'  ought  to  say,  —  let  us  illustrate  by  singing 
the  following  paraphrase. 


CHAPTER    II. 

The  obtrusion  of  unharmonious  and  secular 
poelry  into  the  church,  is  a  great  hindrance  to 
divine  song.  It  is  seized  upon  by  ignorant  or 
avaricious  men,  as  a  pretext  for  the  introduction 
of  all  sorts  of  secular  music.  As  a  counterpart 
to  the  hymn-books  before  alluded  to,  we  have 
tune-books  without  number,  made  up  of  the  most 
ridiculous  adaptations  and  selections  from  orato- 
rios, operas,  sonatas,  symphonies,  songs,  &c,  all 
suited  to  the  general  ignorance  and  secularity  of 
the  times,  and  to  that  intemperate  rage  for  novelty 
which  everywhere  prevails.  Musical  conventions 
are  called  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  under 
the  pretence  of  improving  the  public  taste,  when 
in  fact  they  are  only  intended  to  promote  the  sale 
of  silly  and  mischievous  music.  Now  the  money- 
changers were  driven  from  the  temple  long  ago, 
and  I  submit  that  the  music  and  psalmody  of  the 
church  is  not  a  legitimate  article  of  speculation, 
and  that  our  country  friends  are  most  egregiously 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  21 

imposed  upon.  Good  music  never  wears  out; 
whereas  the  sillv  and  ephemeral  trash  so  much  in 
vogue,  perishes  with  the  use  of  it,  and  a  new  tune- 
book  is  wanted  every  year,  just  as  the  makers  of 
them  intend.  Those  who  indulge  in  such  base 
practices,  flatter  themselves  that  it  is  a  harmless 
pursuit,  and  are  wont  to  say  that  the  people  want 
to  be  "humbugged;"  but  I  have  heard  some 
sound  musicians  say  that  it  will  take  half  a  cen- 
tury to  eradicate  the  evil  consequences.  It  is  a 
national  calamity. 

There  are  banded  together  in  the  cities  of  New 
York  and  Boston,  a  set  of  speculators  who  trade 
in  the  songs  of  Zion.  With  these  fellows  all 
styles  are  good,  and  that  is  best  to-day  which  sells 
best.  They  know  well  enough  in  their  hearts  how 
limited  the  sphere  of  devotional  song  is,  but  if  they 
acknowledge  the  truth,  why,  then  their  occupation 
is  gone.  The  public  ought  to  be  cautioned  against 
such  musical  pickpockets.  In  some  of  their  books 
the  most  solemn  words  are  often  coupled  with  the 
melody  of  some  familiar  or  vulgar  comic  song, 
with  feeble  harmony  to  match.  Again,  we  have 
glees  outright;  literal  selections  from  operas,  &c, 
all  bound  up  together,  and  covered  with  the  high- 
sounding  and  queer  names  of  "  Hallelujah,"  "  Cith- 
ara,"    "Dulcimer,"    "Shawm,"    "Lute    of    Zion," 


22  HINTS     CONCERNING 

"  The  Handel,"  &c.  To  give  a  kind  of  mock 
solemnity  to  such  music,  tunes  of  a  light  char- 
acter are  often  closed  with  a  strong  ecclesiastical 
cadence,  which  seems  like  putting  heavy  armor 
upon  an  infant.  What  deformity,  what  incon- 
gruity is  all  this ;  and  yet  it  is  done  (ostensibly) 
for  the  church  of  Christ !  So  numerous  are  these 
catch-penny  works,  that  the  powers  of  invention 
are  severely  taxed  in  finding  names  for  them. 

"  If  in  a  picture,  Piso,  you  should  see 
A  handsome  woman  with  a  fish's  tail, 
Or  a  man's  head  upon  a  horse's  neck, 
"Would  you  not  laugh,  and  think  the  painter  mad  ? 
Trust  me  that  book  is  as  ridiculous, 
Whose  incoherent  style,  like  sick  men's  dreams, 
Varies  all  shapes,  and  mixes  all  extremes." 

A  like  state  of  things  existed  for  a  time  in  Eng- 
land, probably  amongst  the  Puritans.  Sir  John 
Hawkins  relates  that  in  country  parishes,  about 
the  year  1675, 

"  Some  poor  ignorant  man,  whom  the  poring  over  Ravens- 
croft  and  Playford  has  made  to  believe  that  he  is  as  able  a 
proficient  in  psalmody  as  either  of  those  authors ;  such  men 
as  these  assume  the  title  of  singing-masters  and  lovers  of 
divine  music,  and  are  the  authors  of  those  collections  which 
are  extant  in  the  world,  and  are  distinguished  by  the  titles 
of  "David's  Harp  New  Strung  and  Tuned,"  "  The  Harmony 
of  Sion,"  "  The  Psalm-Singer's  Companion,"  and  others  of 
a  like  kind,  to  an  incredible  number." 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  23 

Mr.  Zeuner,  in  the  preface  to  one  of  his  books, 
makes  the  following  very  just  remarks  : 

"  From  the  abuses  and  absurdities  that  exist  in  well- 
known  publications,  it  is  not  a  very  difficult  matter  to 
demonstrate  that  the  church  is  inundated  with  music  of  a 
frivolous,  trifling,  and,  may  we  not  add,  profane  char- 
acter !  " 

He  then  goes  on  to  notice  a  great  number  of 
profane  airs,  such  as  "  The  Brave  Swiss  Boy," 
"  The  Harmonious  Blacksmith,"  &c,  as  well  as 
many  others,  which,  he  says,  are  now  being  per- 
formed on  the  boards  of  the  American  and  Eng- 
lish theatres ! 

"  Ignorance  and  inexperience  have  no  right  to  meddle 
with  church  music,  which  ought  to  be  the  most  perfect  in 
character  and  style.  It  ought  always  to  be  free  from  un- 
hallowed associations,  and  its  character,  dignity,  and  solem- 
nity ought  to  be  constantly  guarded.  Has  the  time  arrived 
when  sacred  words  are  to  be  associated  with  secular  music, 
for  common  use  in  our  churches  ?  '  My  house  is  a  house  of 
prayer,'  &e. 

"  If  one  happen  to  hear  again  in  the  church  what  he  has 
before  heard  in  a  profane  place,  he  must  indeed  doubt 
whether  he  be  in  an  insane  hospital  or  a  place  of  worship." 

A  musician  can  accomplish  what  the  mere  ama- 
teur, from  the  shop  or  counting-room,  fails  in  ;  and 
amongst  all  who  have  written  for  the  church,  in 
this    country,   the    above    named    gentleman    has 


24  HINTS     CONCERNING 

alone  displayed  a  true  knowledge  of  the  require- 
ments and  propriety  of  Sacred  Harmony.  Not 
that  his  music  is  altogether  what  it  should  be,  for 
of  this  he  was  well  aware ;  but  that  he  has  best 
adapted  himself  to  the  flimsy  poetry  he  had  to  deal 
with.  Although  slightly  tinged  with  modern  Ger- 
man chromatics,  yet  he  has  displayed  good  judg- 
ment in  altering  the  rythmical  forms  of  church 
compositions,  without  destroying  their  grave  har- 
mony. By  this  means  he  has  adapted  them  to  the 
light  hymns  in  use,  without  falling  into  the  lullaby 
style,  as  his  cotemporaries  have  done.  Some  of 
Mr.  Zeuner's  "  chanting  tunes "  will  serve  as  an 
illustration.  The  fact  is,  that  a  good  strong,  devo- 
tional tune,  like  "  Dundee  "  or  "  London,"  is  too 
much  for  many  of  the  little  nursery  hymns  in  use ; 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  most  sublime  and 
instructive  poetry  is  often  wholly  enervated  by 
being  coupled  with  an  operatic  melody. 

What  further  progress  can  be  made  in  secular- 
izing the  songs  of  the  church  it  is  not  easy  to  see, 
unless  the  British  poets  and  the  Italian  opera  are 
swallowed  at  a  gulp ;  and  of  this  there  are  some 
symptoms,  as  recent  publications  intended  for  the 
Christian  church  give  evidence.  Some  of  these 
musical  pretenders  try  to  justify  themselves  by 
saying  that  their  books  contain   a  great  deal  of 


CHURCH    MUSIC.  25 

good  music.  But  what  of  that  ?  The  multitude, 
ever  ready  to  sacrifice  the  understanding  to  the 
gratification  of  the  senses,  are  sure  to  seize  upon 
the  bad. 

Plato  complained  of  the  injury  done  to  music 
by  the  poets,  who  "confounded  all  things  with 
all;"  and  surely  no  man  can  be  justified  in  med- 
dling with  the  psalmody  or  ritual  of  the  church, 
unless  he  has  a  suitable  knowledge  of  music.  A 
tinker  might  as  well  undertake  to  build  a  telescope. 

What  a  blessing  would  it  be,  if  all  the  poetic 
and  musical  trash  of  our  time  could  be  heaped 
together  on  some  large  plain,  and  then  touched 
with  a  lighted  torch,  — 

"  Heavens !  what  a  pile  !  whole  ages  perish  there, 
And  one  bright  blaze  turns  learning  into  air." 

But  setting  aside  the  quality  of  the  music  in 
question,  it  is  a  great  sin  to  multiply  it  to  such  an 
indefinite  extent.  It  creates  much  confusion.  One 
hundred  and  fifty  good  metrical  tunes  are  enough 
for  this  world,  and  perhaps  there  is  not  a  much 
larger  number  of  good  ones  extant. 

The  music  and  poetry  of  the  church,  to  be  of 
any  real  value,  must  become  familiar  to  the 
mind.*      Now    in    most    of    the    Congregational 

*  "  One  generation  shall  praise  thy  works  to  another." 

3 


26  HINTS     CONCERNING 

churches  in  Boston,  may  be  found  at  least  two 
thousand  psalm-tunes,  and  about  one  thousand 
hymns.  Suppose  then,  that  one-half  are  fit  to  be 
used  at  all,  (and  this  is  a  most  magnanimous 
allowance,)  and  that  four  of  each  are  used  every 
Sunday ;  it  would  require  four  and  a  half  years  to 
sing  the  former,  and  two  years  and  a  half  to  dis- 
patch the  latter. 

"  In  1567,  Archbishop  Parker  published  the  first  trans- 
lation, by  one  and  the  same  person,  of  the  entire  Psalter 
into  English  metre.  It  was  printed  at  London  by  John 
Daye,  with  the  royal  privilege,  and  appended  to  it  are  eight 
psalm-tunes,  sufficing  in  metre  and  in  character,  as  was 
supposed,  for  every  psalm." 

Adaptations  are  generally  bad,  unless  done  by 
a  master.  There  is  a  disagreement  between  the 
accentuation  of  the  words  and  the  music.  The 
melody  of  the  music  must  suit  the  melody  of  the 
language. 

Now  in  the  face  of  this  perverted  state  of  things, 
who  does  not  see  the  necessity  of  music  schools  in 
our  colleges.  We  have  no  standard.  The  Puri- 
tans demolished  organs,*  committed  music  to  the 

*  During  the  Great  Rebellion,  very  few  organs  escaped  the  fury 
of  the  Puritans,  excepting  the  sweet-toned  instrument  at  Magdalen 
College,  Oxford  ;  which,  it  is  said,  "  Cromwell  contrived  to  steal, 
and  had  it  removed  to  Hampton  Court  for  his  own  entertainment. 
The  rest  were  for  the  most  part  broken  in  pieces." 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  21 

flames,  and  annihilated  all  musical  education; 
and,  while  we  bow  with  reverence  to  the  huge 
virtues  of  those  old  sons  of  thunder,  we  can  not 
fail  to  see  their  errors,  the  consequences  of  which 
are  too  obvious.  For  want  of  collegiate  instruc- 
tion, we  have  no  suitable  men  to  manage  our 
public  schools,  and  the  children  are  now  taught 
from  certain  silly  school  song-books,  which  only 
tend  to  dissipate  all  true  musical  feeling  and  taste 
from  the  mind,  and  which  they  are  ashamed  to 
reflect  upon  as  they  grow  older.  This  is  a  great 
evil.  It  is  not  owing  to  our  climate  that  we  have 
not  as  good  singers  as  any  nation  upon  earth,  but 
it  is  for  the  want  of  proper  youthful  training.  The 
first  impressions  which  are  made  on  the  mind  are 
always  the  strongest ;  hence,  instead  of  pernicious 
sing-song  ditties,  children  should  always  be  exer- 
cised in  strong  classical  examples,  and  especially 
in  the  church  style,  which  they  learn  with  the 
greatest  facility,  and  to  their  lasting  benefit. 

The  eye,  by  the  optic  nerves,  carries  impressions 
to  the  brain.  Sounds,  also,  through  the  auditory 
nerves,  glide  up  to  the  brain  and  lay  their  messa- 
ges before  the  mind,  the  effects  of  which  vary 
according  to  the  character  of  the  objects  or  harmo- 
nies  presented,  —  some   exalting    the    mind    and 


28  HINTS     CONCERNING 

loftier  sentiments,  while  others  tend  to  levity  and 
dissipation  of  the  mind. 
Luther  says  i 

u  The  youth  ought  to  be  brought  up  and  accustomed  to 
this  [arty  for  it  maketh  fine  and  expert  people.  A  school- 
master ought  to  have  skill  in  music,  otherwise  I  would  no* 
regard  him ;  neither  should  we  ordain  young  fellows  to  the 
office  of  preaching,  except  they  have  been  well  exercised  iu 
the  school  of  music." 

Here  is  a  sample  of  that  effeminate,  whining 
style  of  metrical  psalmody  which  (to  our  shame 
be  it  spoken,)  prevails  in  a  great  number  of  Amer- 
can  churches.  The  women  praise  it,  and  young 
girls  call  it  "  beautiful."  It  is  a  soothing,  lullaby 
style  that  suits  their  particular  mood,  —  something 
akin  to  anise  and  paregoric  for  the  babies. 


0-0-0-  -o\m-  -0-  *  -0?    i       i.ii      I    0-  fj  ~0-0  -2- 


\»V    I   V    ^rUJ 


V 


Now,  all  this  may  be  very  well  for  little  girls  to 
sing  at  the  piano  on  a  Sunday  evening,  but  what 
kind  of  praise  is  it  to  offer  to  Him  who  sendeth 
his  lightnings  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  rides 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  29 

upon  the  storm  ?  Is  this  the  way  to  "  praise  God 
in  his  sanctuary "  and  "  in  the  firmament  of  his 
power  ?  "  Is  this  praising  Him  "  according  to  his 
excellent  greatness  ?  "  Is  this  "  singing  forth  the 
honor  of  his  name,"  and  "  making  his  praise  glo- 


3* 


CHAPTEE    III. 

The  abuses  of  music  are  not  confined  to  Con- 
gregational churches  alone ;  the  Episcopal  church 
furnishes  some  glaring  instances.  It  is  well  known 
that  a  certain  fashionable  church  in  New  York  has 
become  a  by-word —that  printed  programmes  of 
fashionable  opera  music  have  been  distributed  in 
the  pews  on  occasions  of  worship,  and  that  the 
same  have  been  printed  in  the  newspapers  of 
the  day,  with  no  very  nattering  comments,  —  one 
writer  remarking  that  he  could  not  say  whether  or 
not  any  of  the  pieces  were  encored.  These  people 
seem  to  regard  the  music  only  as  a  low  and  sen- 
sual gratification,  and  young  men  and  women 
listen  to  the  amorous  strains,  and  cry  out  "  splen- 
did ! "  just  as  they  do  at  the  theatre.  It  is  said 
that  this  church  is  composed  of  the  beau-monde  of 
the  town,  for  which  reason,  perhaps,  the  bishop 
does  not  put  an  end  to  such  abominations.  If 
they  are  really  people  of  quality,  why  can  they  not 
afford  a  season  ticket  to  the  opera,  and  not  prosti- 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  31 

tute  the  church  to  such  low  uses?  An  organist 
ol  this  church  has  produced  a  publication  which 
would  disgrace  any  choir-boy  at  Trinity  Church. 

Now,  howbeit  we  may  all  agree  to  a  moderate 
indulgence  in  that  exotic,  the  Italian  Opera,  on 
proper  occasions;  yet  surely,  none  can  tolerate 
the  "  sweet  enfeebler  of  the  heart"  in  a  place  of 
worship.  Young  women  are  not  to  be  obtruded 
into  the  choir,  to  sing  with  that  "  languishment  of 
note,"  and  with  all  the  "  lulling  softness  and  dying 
falls,"  as  well  as  exaggerated  accentuation,  so 
peculiar  to  Italian  music.     St.  Jerome  says : 

"  We  are  not  like  tragedians  to  gargle  the  throat  with 
sweet  modulation,  that  our  theatrical  songs  may  be  heard  in 
the  church,  but  we  are  to  sing  with  reverence." 

Dr.  Burney  says : 

"  It  has  long  appeared  to  me,  that  whoever  brings  theat- 
rical levity  to  the  church  is  guilty  of  want  of  taste,  judg- 
ment, and  due  reverence  for  the  religion  of  his  country." 

Another  writer,  on  the  introduction  of  secular 
compositions  into  our  churches,  says : 

"  These  are  sometimes,  though  not  often,  serious,  now  and 
then  touched  with  pathos.  Yet  they  do  not  inspire  devo- 
tion. They  may  awaken  sympathy,  and  even  tears ;  but 
are  unfruitful  of  pious  emotions  or  exalting  power.  Many 
of  these  selections  abound  in  sentiment,  grace  and  deli- 
cacy  


32  HINTS     CONCERNING 

"  Much  ornament  is  not  admissible  in  the  sanctuary  ;  it 
would  be  as  much  out  of  keeping,  as  French  curls  on  a 
statue  of  the  Madonna.  Great  plainness,  a  wholesome  sim- 
plicity, belong  to  genuine  church  music  ;  all  sickly,  mawkish 
expressions  are  to  be  avoided,  and  the  light,  tripping  turns, 
and  artifices,  as  well  as  elaborate  cadenzas,  are  solecisms, 
where  sincerity,  manly  directness,  unaffected  grace  and 
strength  should  give  the  tone." 

Amongst  all  abuses,  those  of  the  organ  are  no! 
the  least  flagrant.  Some  people  seem  to  regard 
this  noble  instrument  only  as  a  magnificent  toy,  to 
be  filled  up  with  all  sorts  of  fancy  stops,  upon 
which  to  play  all  sorts  of  light  and  familiar  airs,  to 
the  great  hindrance  of  worship  and  scandal  of  the 
church.  Those  young  men,  whose  business  it  is 
to  "  show  off"  organs,  or,  in  the  language  of  an 
old  writer,  such  as  are  always  playing  a  "foolish 
vanitie"  ought  especially  to  be  avoided.  The 
house  of  prayer  is  not  to  be  converted  into  a  "  Jim 
Crow"  concert-room,  nor  a  sale  warehouse  for 
organ-builders.*  Some  instances  of  this  sort  are 
sometimes  heard  at  Sunday-evening  lectures.  At 
the  end  of  each  verse  of  the  hymn,  thwack,  thwack, 
go  the  stops  for  some  seconds,  preparatory  to  the 
grand  display  in  the  interlude,  which  I  have  heard 

*  Concerts  in  churches  are  entirely  out  of  place.  It  is  proposed 
in  England,  that  the  annual  musical  festivals  be  hereafter  held  in 
the  halls  which  have  been  erected  for  such  purposes,  and  not  in  the 
cathedrals. 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  33 

played  on  something  equivalent  to  the  picolo,  pro- 
ducing a  ridiculous  contrast  with  congregational 
singing. 

Light  minds  are  pleased  with  trifles,  and  such 
persons  forget  the  service  they  are  engaged  in. 
The  true  style  of  organ  music  is  that  which  casts 
noble  hints  into  the  soul,  not  the  merely  pretty 
style,  which  affects  no  part  of  the  head  but  the  ear, 
and  touches  not  the  heart. 

A  celebrated  writer  of  a  century  and  a  half  ago, 
says  of  certain  organists  who  introduced  irreli- 
gious music  into  their  voluntaries : 

•  These  fingering  gentlemen  should  be  informed  that  they 
ought  to  suit  their  airs  to  the  place  and  business ;  and  that 
the  musician  is  obliged  to  keep  to  the  text  as  much  as  the 
preacher.  For  want  of  this,  I  have  found  by  experience  a 
great  deal  of  mischief;  for,  when  the  preacher  has  often, 
with  great  piety  and  art  enough,  handled  his  subject,  and  I 
have  found  in  myself,  and  in  the  rest  of  the  pew,  good 
thoughts  and  dispositions,  they  have  been  all  in  a  moment 
dissipated  by  a  jig  from  the  organ-loft." 

None  but  the  very  beau  ideal  of  harmony  ought 
to  be  heard  in  the  church,  and  the  voluntary  for 
the  organ  ought  to  be  as  carefully  and  rigidly  pre- 
pared as  the  sermon.  The  end  of  that  short  office 
of  harmony  —  the  voluntary  before  the  first  lesson 
—  is  to  tranquilize  the  soul,  and  to  prepare  the 
mind  for  the   admission   of  those   divine   truths, 


34 


HINTS     CONCERNING 


which  are  shortly  to  be  dispensed.  The  great  office 
of  the  closing  voluntary  is,  to  lengthen  out  every 
act  of  worship,  and  to  produce  more  lasting  im- 
pressions in  the  mind.  This  demands  the  animat- 
ing and  dignified  effects  of  counterpoint.  The 
first  voluntary  should  be  played  in  slow  and  sus- 
pended progressions  upon  the  soft  stops  of  the 
choir  or  swell-organ ;  not  in  the  boisterous  manner 
practiced  in  many  Congregational  churches,  where 
the  organist  thunders  away  upon  the  pedal  and 
great  organs,  the  which  may  be  construed  into  an 
invitation  to  fight,  rather  than  to  worship. 

In  this  particular,  I  have  often  wondered  that 
our  organists  do  not  more  frequently  avail  them- 
selves of  the  instruction  and  example  of  that  clas- 
sical church-musician,  the  transcendent  organist  of 
Trinity  Church,  Boston,**  who,  according  to  the 
testimony  of  competent  judges,  has  no  equal.  Not 
on  account  of  his  feats  as  a  concerto-player,  for 
that  is  the  laudable  business  of  younger  men,  and 
of  students ;  nevertheless,  I  guess  few  would  dare 
enter  lists  with  him  on  that  score,  for  a  given 
occasion. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Jebb  says : 

"  There  is  something  in  the  human  touch,  which  upon  a 
musical  instrument  becomes  the  undefinablc  index  to  the 

*  Mr.  A.  U.  Hayter. 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  35 

mind  and  feelings  of  the  performer.  It  is  surprising  how- 
great  a  difference  is  perceptible  in  the  performance  of  the 
chant  between  organists  of  equal  skill,  but  of  greater  or  less 
devotional  feeling.  It  has  been  well  observed,  that  the 
organist  who  really  reads  the  psalms,  and  enters  into  them 
as  he  accompanies  them,  will  produce,  unconsciously  to  him- 
self, an  effect  which  not  the  most  studied  performance  of 
the  mere  musician  can  command." 

Such  seem  to  be  some  of  the  characteristics  of 
this  gentleman's  playing.  His  performance  is 
always  characterized  by  perfect  neatness ;  indeed, 
he  possesses  a  temperament  so  sensitive  as  to 
forbid  any  thing  that  is  not  absolutely  perfect. 
Albeit  a  little  extravagant,  yet  nothing  can  more 
aptly  describe  it  than  the  words  of  a  celebrated 
historian  in  relation  to  another.  Sir  John  Hawkins 
says  of  Handel's  performance  on  the  organ : 

"  The  powers  of  speech  are  so  limited,  that  it  is  almost  a 
vain  attempt  to  describe  it  otherwise  than  by  its  effects.  A 
fine  and  delicate  touch,  a  volant  finger,  and  a  ready  delivery 
of  passages  the  most  difficult,  are  the  praise  of  inferior 
artists.  They  were  not  noticed  in  Handel,  whose  excellen- 
ces were  of  a  far  superior  kind ;  and  his  amazing  command 
of  the  instrument,  the  fulness  of  his  harmony,  the  grandeur 
and  dignity  of  his  style,  the  copiousness  of  his  imagination, 
and  the  fertility  of  his  invention,  were  qualities  that  ab- 
sorbed every  inferior  attainment.  When  he  gave  a  con- 
certo, his  method  in  general  was  to  introduce  it  with  a 
voluntary  movement  on  the  diapasons,  wlsich  stole  on  the 
ear  in   a  slow  and  solemn  progression  ;   the  harmony  close- 


36  HINTS     CONCERNING 

wrought,  and  as  full  as  could  possibly  be  expressed ;  the 
passages  concatenated  with  stupendous  art,  the  whole  at 
the .  same  time  being  perfectly  intelligible,  and  carrying  the 
appearance  of  great  simplicity.  This  kind  of  prelude  was 
succeeded  by  the  concerto  itself,  which  he  executed  with  a 
spirit  and  firmness  which  no  one  ever  pretended  to  equal. 
Such  in  general  was  the  manner  of  his  performance ;  but 
who  shall  describe  its  effects  on  his  enraptured  auditory  ? 
Silence,  the  truest  applause,  succeeded  the  instant  he  ad- 
dressed himself  to  the  instrument,  and  that  so  profound 
that  it  checked  respiration,  and  seemed  to  control  the  func- 
tions of  nature." 

Some  people  affect  to  undervalue  the  diapasons, 
the  tones  of  which  are  so  unaccountable.  They 
are  the  vox  humani,  which  we  always  hear  with 
delight,  but  presently  forget  the  sound,  and  want 
to  hear  it  again.  On  the  other  hand,  we  are  soon 
tired  with  the  sounds  of  reeds  and  fanciful  stops. 
The  diapasons,  by  their  clear  and  prompt  speak- 
ing, show  the  imperfections  of  the  player ;  hence, 
some  performers  resort  to  a  muddy  combination 
of  reeds  and  small  whistles,  where  they  can  bungle 
with  impunity. 

The  open  diapasons  in  some  of  our  old  organs 
are  worth  their  weight  of  silver.  One  of  the  most 
charming  of  these  may  be  found  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio.  It  was  made  by  Goodrich,  for  the  old  Park 
Street  Church  organ,  Boston.  When  that  instru- 
ment was  removed,  the  pipes  were  transferred  to 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  37 

the  organ  for  the  Baptist  Church  in  Union  street, 
and  upon  the  sale  of  that  church,  the  organ  was 
removed  to  Cleveland.  Those  pipes  ought  to  be 
piously  guarded  and  preserved. 

In  England,  organs  are  hardly  considered  ripe 
and  mellow  till  they  are  two  or  three  centuries 
old  ;  but  with  us,  they  are  soon  discarded,  and  are, 
for  the  most  part,  built  in  a  very  cheap  and  frail 
manner. 

A  church  organ  should  have  as  few  stops  as 
may  be  consistent  with  sufficient  variety,  and  a 
great  number  tends  to  defeat  this  end;  because  a 
player  must  make  his  shifts  quickly,  and  this  can 
hardly  be  done  when  one  has  to  look  into  a  per- 
fect forest  of  stops.  There  are  only  four  or  five 
distinctive,  characteristic  qualities  of  tone,  and 
these  can  all  be  produced  with  twenty  stops ;  all 
others  are  only  slight  variations  under  new  names. 
An  organ  with  twenty-five  stops  and  three  ranks 
of  keys  will  give  all  the  effects  of  an  instrument 
of  fifty  stops,  and  it  is  believed  that  few  American 
organs  have  wind  enough  to  sustain  a  greater 
number  of  pipes ;  especially  where  two  or  three 
couplers  are  used,  in  which  case  the  reservoir  must 
be  enlarged  in  the  same  ratio.  This  fact,  which 
seems  to  be  entirely  overlooked,  is  not  easily 
accomplished  in  a  crowded  instrument,  and  it  is  a 
4 


38  HINTS     CONCERNING 

question  whether  the  couplers  are,  upon  the  whole, 

of  any  real  benefit,  excepting,  perhaps,  the  pedal 

coupler.     Firmness    and   steadiness    of   tone    are 

rarely    obtained.      If    the    following    description, 

which  is  ascribed  to  a  monk  of  the  tenth  century, 

be  correct,  the  organ  was  at  that  time  no  mean 

instrument : 

"  Twelve  pair  of  bellows,  ranged  in  stately  row 
Are  joined  above,  and  fourteen  more  below ; 
These  the  full  force  of  seventy  men  require, 
Who  ceaseless  toil  and  plenteously  perspire, 
Each  aiding  each,  till  all  the  winds  be  prest 
In  the  close  confines  of  the  incumbent  chest, 
On  which  four  hundred  pipes  in  order  rise 
To  bellow  forth  the  blast  that  chest  supplies." 

It  has  been  noticed  that  where  organs  are  pro- 
cured for  country  churches  before  they  can  com- 
mand a  competent  player,  music  is  sure  to  suffer, 
and  nothing  can  be  used  but  those  weak,  lullaby 
tunes,  where  the  Bass  dwells  upon  only  two  or 
three  notes  throughout.  If  any  thing  better  is 
attempted,  it  has  to  be  sung  in  a  slow  and  heavy 
manner.  Much  better  music  would  be  insured,  if 
the  country  choirs  would  cultivate  a  quartette  of 
viols.  The  introduction  of  the  Viola  or  tenor  viol, 
would  be  a  great  improvement.  "With  viols,  well 
played,  the  best  compositions  might  be  used  with 
good  effect.  Flutes  and  clarionets  are  too  brilliant 
and  noisy. 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  39 

In  a  recent  book,  giving  an  account  of  the 
organs  built  in  England  from  the  reign  of  Charles 
the  Second  to  the  present  time,  the  author  con- 
tends, that  what  the  old  organs  have  gained  in 
power  by  various  alterations,  they  have  lost  in 
sweetness.  He  urges  the  preservation  of  the  old 
instruments,  whose  want  of  power  is  often  the  sole 
reason  of  their  condemnation.  A  reviewer  of  this 
book  well  observes,  that,  "regarding  the  church 
organ  solely  in  the  light  of  an  accompaniment  to 
the  choir,  we  think  that  an  ordinary  choir-organ, 
properly  placed,  is  in  every  respect  sufficient  for 
its  purpose.  We  prefer  sweetness,  when  com- 
bined with  firmness  of  tone,  to  any  amount  of 
power." 

There  seems  to  be  quite  a  mania  in  this  country 
for  "  gigantic  and  noisy  organs,"  —  those  enor- 
mous music-mills  of  Holland,  as  Mr.  Jebb  calls 
them,  which  are  more  fit  for  Nebuchadnezzar's 
festival,  than  for  the  sweet  and  grave  accompani- 
ment of  a  choir.  Many  of  the  modern  organs  are 
too  loud  for  the  houses  which  contain  them,  and 
are  quite  inferior  for  purposes  of  worship  to  many 
of  the  small,  but  sweet-toned  old  organs  built  by 
Mr.  Appleton.  There  are  not  wanting  such  peo- 
ple as  would  exchange  that  fine-toned  instrument 
in    King's    Chapel,   Boston,    for    a    modern    toy. 


40  HINTS     CONCERNING 

American  builders  often  fail  most  in  the  grand 
trumpets,  which,  when  compared  with  that  lofty 
trumpet  in  the  magnificent  organ  at  Trinity  Church, 
sound  more  like  the  flip-flap  and  gingle  of  a 
planing-miU.* 

In  regard  to  the  temperament  of  a  church  organ, 
the  perfect  old  English  is,  no  doubt,  the  best ; 
because,  where  but  few  keys  and  little  modulation 
are  used,  the  intervals  can  be  nearly  as  perfect  as 
the  voice.  In  a  concert-room,  equal  temperament 
is  not  out  of  place. 

In  all  its  departments,  a  very  large  majority  of 
the  people  in  this  country  have  no  other  idea  of 
church  music  than  that  of  an  entertainment.  A 
clergyman,  not  long  ago,  requested  the  organist  of 
his  church  to  favor  the  congregation  with  "  The 
Last  Rose  of  Summer,"  as  a  voluntary.  Such 
people  frequently  try  to  justify  themselves,  by 
a  very  foolish  saying,  falsely  ascribed  to  a  very 
pious  man,  viz.,  that  "  The  devil  ought  not  to  have 
all  the  good  tunes."  They  then  think  they  have 
said  something ;  but  methinks  the  great  question 

*  The  organs  of  Germany  are  said  to  be  the  same  to-day  as  they 
were  two  hundred  years  ago,  while  the  English  have  made  great 
improvements,  especially  in  the  action,  and  have  also  added  that 
valuable  invention  —  the  swell  —  which  the  Germans  do  not  know 
the  use  of.  In  accompanying  the  chant,  and  otherwise,  the  swell 
is  invaluable  Avhen  properly  used,  and  it  is  not  more  frequently 
abused  than  the  thundering  pedal  Bass. 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  41 

as  to  which  are  the  best  tunes  still  remains  to  be 
settled.  It  seems  as  if  the  devil,  or  some  other  dis- 
tinguished personage,  must  now  have  all  the  good 
tunes,  for  they  are  rarely  heard  in  our  churches. 

But  who  are  these  empty-headed  young  men, 
aye,  and  old  ones,  too,  who  would  convert  the 
church  into  a  house  of  entertainment  ?  "  Have  ye 
not  houses  to  eat  and  drink  in  ? "  Who  are  the 
conceited  boobies  who  dislike  old  music  ?  The 
Bible  is  pretty  old  —  do  they  like  that  ?  What  do 
they  know  about  sound  ?  Do  they  understand  its 
phenomena,  in  all  its  philosophical,  physiological, 
and  moral  bearings  ?  Can  they  point  out  those 
progressions  in  harmony  which  are  best  calculated 
to  lead  the  mind  to  "  the  throne  of  the  heavenly 
grace  ?  "  If  these  men  know  any  thing,  let  them 
stand  up,  and  make  out  their  case  ;  or  else,  be  it 
said  of  them,  in  the  words  of  Job :  "  Ye  are  all 
physicians  of  no  value.  Oh  that  ye  would  alto- 
gether hold  your  peace ;  and  it  should  be  your 
wisdom." 

Such  people  cut  a  very  queer  figure,  when  they 
set  up  their  opinions  against  the  practice  of  men 
who  have  been  bred  in  the  church,  and  who  have 
spent  their  lives  in  the  study  of  divine  harmony. 
Do  men  send  for  a  physician,  and  then  tell  him  to 
give  them  only  such  sweet  medicine  as  suits  their 
4* 


42  CHURCH     MUSIC. 

disordered  tastes  ?     Neither  must  they  tell  the  doc- 
tor of  music  what  their  souls  need.     Such  a  thing 
is  preposterous,  and  ought  to  put  the  blush  upon 
the  most  conceited  pedagogue  in  Christendom. 
Dr.  Crotch,  on  different  styles  in  music,  says : 

"  The  sublime  is  founded  on  principles  of  vastness  and 
incomprehensibility.  The  word  sublime,  originally  signi- 
fies, high,  lofty,  elevated ;  and  this  style,  accordingly, 
never  descends  to  any  thing  small,  delicate,  light,  pretty, 
playful,  or  comic.  The  grandest  style  in  music  is,  there- 
fore, the  sacred  style,  —  that  of  the  church  and  oratorios ; 
for  it  is  least  inclined  to  levity,  where  levity  is  inadmissi- 
ble, and  where  the  words  convey  the  most  awful  and  strik- 
ing images.  Infinity,  and  what  is  next  to  it,  immensity, 
are  among  the  most  efficient  causes  of  this  quality ;  and 
when  we  hear  innumerable  voices  and  instruments  sounding 
the  praises  of  God  in  solemn  and  becoming  strains,  the 
most  sublime  image  that  can  fill  the  mind  seldom  fails  to 
present  itself — that  of  the  heavenly  host  described  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures." 


CHAPTER    IV. 

What  then,  let  us  ask,  is  the  true  style  of  devo- 
tional music?  In  answering  this,  we  must  in- 
quire into  the  nature  of  the  service  in  which  it  is 
employed.  The  worship  of  God  is  the  heartfelt 
performance  of  certain  religious  rites,  as  prayer 
and  praise,  whereby  man  seeks  to  honor  God  and 
benefit  himself  by  bringing  the  heart  into  an  obe- 
dient frame,  to  the  end  of  an  upright  life.  Who- 
ever has  a  true  apprehension  of  the  greatness  and 
holiness  of  divine  worship,  can  understand  how 
reverent  and  serious  should  be  the  music  which 
accompanies  so  sublime  an  act.  Holiness  to  the 
Lord  should  be  stamped  upon  every  thing  con- 
nected with  the  church,  and  the  best  faculties  of 
the  soul  should  be  exercised  by  all  who  venture  to 
compose  choral  music.  We  are  to  rejoice  soberly 
and  reverently ;  not  with  the  boisterous  or  wanton 
hilarity  and  mirth  which  characterize  a  political 
celebration. 

Worship,  then,  is  a  work  of  the  heart  and  the 


44  HINTS     CONCERNING 

understanding,  not  of  the  imagination  and  the 
senses ;  consequently,  all  works  of  a  purely  melo- 
dic or  imaginative  character  have  no  business  in 
the  church.  Arias  must  be  excluded,  because  they 
are  outward  and  sensual,  while  harmony  is  inter- 
nal and  spiritual,  and  (in  the  words  of  a  famous 
and  ancient  man,)  affects  that  very  part  of  man 
which  is  most  divine. 

An  important  event  indeed  in  the  history  of 
music,  was  its  separation  from  poetry,  which  hap- 
pened about  550  years  B.  C.  In  all  vocal  compo- 
sitions the  music  ought  to  be  kept  subordinate  to 
the  poetry,  which,  from  the  greatest  antiquity,  has 
always  been  considered  the  prime  element,  and 
the  musical  tones  as  only  auxiliary,  and  for  giving 
life  to  the  text ;  otherwise,  what  an  absurdity  would 
it  be  to  talk  about  vocal  and  instrumental  music, 
when  no  real  difference  would  exist.  One  of  the 
great  evils  and  pernicious  errors  of  modern  times 
is  that  this  distinction  is  lost  sight  of;  words 
are  now  sacrificed  to  sound ;  for  which  reason, 
amongst  others,  no  church  music,  (and  very  little 
genuine  vocal  music  of  any  sort,)  has  been  written 
during  the  last  century. 

Altar  music,  above  all  other,  must  be  only  a 
vehicle  for  the  words  of  the  service,  which  are  the 
property  of  the  whole  congregation ;  consequently. 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  45 

it  must  not  be  in  the  weak,  melodic  style,  where 
words  are  sacrificed  to  sound,  but  in  the  syllabic, 
choral  or  speaking  style,  which  admits  of  a  dis- 
tinct articulation,  and  where  nearly  every  syllable 
has  its  note.  Dr.  Burney  says,  "  Our  florid  song, 
it  can  not  be  dissembled,  is  not  always  sufficiently 
subservient  to  poetry." 

Again,  how  can  spiritual  worship  be  aided 
by  music  which  appeals  only  to  the  senses,  for 
they  must  soon  languish  where  the  mind  has 
nothing  to  do,  —  then  we  must  know  that  a  large 
part  of  the  worshippers  have  no  ear  for  tune  or 
melody ;  consequently,  they  can  derive  no  benefit 
from  it.  Harmony,  on  the  contrary,  has  power  to 
affect  every  living  soul ;  even  the  savage  is  awe- 
stricken  by  the  power  of  grave  harmony. 

The  office  of  divine  harmony  is  to  lift  up  the 
heart,  and  to  give  life  to  the  service,  —  conse- 
quently, it  must  be  of  a  plain,  dignified,  and 
orderly  sort.  We  are  told  that  the  Fathers  cast 
out  of  the  church  all  gay  and  chromatic  music, 
i.  e.,  the  canto  figurato,  and  retained  only  the 
sober  diatonic  genus ;  and  it  has  been  truly  said, 
that  a  strict  adherence  to  the  diatonic  scale  pre- 
cludes levity.  The  chromatic  scale  belongs  to  the 
orchestra,  and  particularly  to  instrumental  compo- 
sitions.    The  church  wants  but  little  to  do  with 


46  HINTS     CONCERNING 

semi-tones.  Dr.  Burney  says :  "  Let  all  the  sharps, 
and  six  of  the  seven  single  flats,  be  excommuni- 
cated from  the  church,  but  let  them  not  be  cut  off 
from  all  society  elsewhere."  Again,  he  says: — 
"  Perhaps  the  want  of  variety  in  the  melody  and 
modulation  of  the  strict  diatonic  compositions  was 
compensated  by  accuracy  of  intonation  and  perfec- 
tion of  harmony,"  and,  that  "  what  is  generally 
understood  by  taste,  in  music,  must  ever  be  an 
abomination  in  the  church." 

Mr.  Hooker  says :  "In  harmony,  the  very  image 
and  character,  even,  of  virtue  and  vice,  is  perceiv- 
ed; the  mind  delighted  with  their  resemblances, 
and  brought,  by  having  them  often  iterated,  into  a 
love  of  the  things  themselves.  For  which  cause 
there  is  nothing  more  contagious  and  pestilent 
than  some  kinds  of  harmony  —  than  some,  nothing 
more  strong  and  potent  unto  good."  We  can  all 
realize  the  dangerous  effects  of  bad  harmony,  when 
we  see  how  this  generation  has  been  corrupted, 
and  how  some  persons  choose  such  whining,  sing- 
song tunes  as  "  Hebron,"  "  Ward,"  "  Ballerma," 
&c,  instead  of  the  simple  majesty  of  "  Dundee," 
"London,"  "St.  Anns,"  and  "Windsor,"  which 
not  only  please  the  ear  but  awaken  the  loftier 
sentiments. 

We  want,  then,  at  the  altar,  only  the  plain  syl- 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  47 

labic  melodies,  divided  equally  among  all  the 
parts,  (for  all  are  to  sing  with  the  understanding 
and  the  heart,)  the  whole  wrought  into  dignified 
and  simple  diatonic  harmony,  elevated  by  that 
soul-stirring  and  ever-living  principle  of  all  music 
—  counterpoint  —  and  chastened  by  the  graces  of 
sequence. 

Now,  be  it  known  that,  the  music  of  the  Refor- 
mation is  such  as  has  been  described,  and  that  the 
Church  of  England  has  got  it  all,  and  the  devil 
none.  During  a  period  of  fifty  years,  about  the 
time  of  the  Reformation,  Rome  furnished  some  of 
the  best  specimens  ever  written,  and  then  fell  off 
into  sensuality.  England  has  availed  herself  of 
all  such  Italian  compositions  as  could  be  adapted 
to  her  service,  as  well  as  the  German  chorals  of 
the  Reformation,  and  so  is  become  the  conservator 
of  nearly  all  the  true  devotional  music  in  the 
world. 

When  the  new  and  simple  ritual  of  the  Refor- 
mation was  firmly  established  under  Elizabeth, 
there  arose  a  demand  for  simple  music,  suited  to 
the  English  tongue.  Then  appeared  Dr.  Tye, 
Thomas  Tallis,  William  Byrd,  Richard  Farrant, 
Orlando  Gibbons  and  a  host  of  others,  down  to 
the  time  of  Boyce ;  since  which  time  very  little 
good   church    music   has  been  written,  nor  is  it 


48  HINTS     CONCERNING 

desirable  that  there  should  be,  since  there  is  an 
ample  supply  for  all  times  and  occasions.  These 
productions  were  the  promptings  of  the  most  sub- 
lime piety,  and  so  excellent  were  they  that  they 
begat  in  the  people  a  great  love  of  sacred  music, 
and  it  became  the  national  music.  Handel  im- 
bibed it,  and  modeled  his  style  upon  it,  otherwise 
he  might  have  been  a  very  different  Handel.  The 
characteristics  of  these  old  compositions  are  said 
to  be,  fine  harmony,  unaffected  simplicity,  and 
unspeakable  grandeur.  Here  is  praise  tempered 
with  adoration.  Such  music  has  had  no  small 
influence  upon  the  English  character ;  and  if  we 
retain  any  thing  of  that  solidity  of  mind  peculiar 
to  the  English  race,  such  also  must  be  our  music. 
It  is  not  a  little  laughable  to  hear  certain  musical 
novices  talk  about  an  American  style. 

Such  is  the  music  which  those  accomplished 
and  profound  musicians,  Dr.  Hodges,  of  New 
York,  and  Mr.  Hayter,  of  Boston,  have  been  labor- 
ing to  disseminate  in  our  country,  and  to  such 
men  as  these,  the  nation  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude. 
Tn  this  connection  might  also  be  named,  those  dis- 
creet church-musicians,  the  present  organists  of 
Grace  Church,  and  of  the  Church  of  the  Advent, 
Boston, —  whose  hearts  are  fully  bent  in  the  right 
way.     These  gentlemen  have  had  to  contend,  not 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  49 

only  with  popular,  but  clerical  ignorance ;  for  most 
of  the  clergy  have  had  the  misfortune  to  be  edu- 
cated in  colleges  destitute  of  musical  foundations, 
and  have  failed  to  perceive  the  true  purposes  of 
this  part  of  the  service.  Such  persons  have  some- 
times objected  to  the  old  music,  because  the  parts 
do  not  all  speak  the  words  exactly  together.  Now, 
such  people  ought  to  know  that  the  subject  is 
always  first  given  out  in  a  distinct  and  articulate 
manner,  and  then  follow  such  contrapuntal  con- 
trivances as  tend  to  impress  it  upon  the  mind,  and 
without  which  the  service  would  be  so  monoto- 
nous as  to  drive  many  from  the  church.  It  is  a 
truth,  that  the  sober  expressions  of  counterpoint 
do  not  harmonize  much  with  sensuality. 

In  the  time  of  Henry  the  Eighth,  a  book  of  cer- 
emonies was  published,  in  which  is  the  follow- 
ing passage :  "  The  sober,  discreet,  and  devout 
singing,  music,  and  playing  with  organs,  used  in 
the  church  in  the  service  of  God,  are  ordained  to 
move  the  people  to  the  sweetness  of  God's  word, 
the  which  is  there  sung ;  and  by  that  sweet  har- 
mony both  to  excite  them  to  prayer  and  devotion, 
and  also  to  put  them  in  remembrance  of  the  heav- 
enly triumphant  church,  where  is  everlasting  joy, 
continual  laud,  and  praise  to  God." 

Sir  John  Hawkins,  in  his  admiration  for  the  old 
5 


50  HINTS     CONCERNING 

English  composers,  says :  "  Upwards  of  two  hun- 
dred years  have  elapsed  since  the  anthem  of  Dr. 
Tye,  '  I  will  exalt  thee,'  was  composed  ;  and  near 
as  long  since  Tallis  composed  the  anthem,  '  I  call 
and  cry  to  thee,  O  Lord,'  and  it  is  but  a  few  years 
since  Geminiani  was  heard  to  exclaim  that  the 
author  of  it  was  inspired."  Such  is  the  beau  ideal 
of  Temple  harmony. 

Stripe,  in  his  Annals  of  the  Reformation,  says 
of  the  music  of  Elizabeth's  time,  that  the  French 
ambassador  hearing  the  excellent  music  in  the 
cathedral  church,  extolled  it  to  the  sky,  and  brake 
out  into  these  words :  "  O  God,  I  think  no  prince 
beside  in  all  Europe  ever  heard  the  like ;  no,  not 
even  our  holy  father  the  Pope  himself." 

In  all  forms  of  the  church  song  the  older  speci- 
mens are  the  best.  For  instance,  in  that  highest 
and  best  form  —  the  chant  —  the  Gregorian  stands 
pre-eminent,  notwithstanding  some  claim  equal 
rank  for  the  early  English  chants.  So  is  it  in  met- 
rical psalmody,  and  with  services  and  anthems ; 
the  best  being  coeval  with  the  Reformation.  The 
reason  is,  that  they  were  written  to  supply  the 
necessities  of  the  times,  and  are  the  productions  of 
pious  hearts  and  of  a  ,  pious  age.  They  were 
prompted  by  higher  and  purer  motives  than  repu- 
tation or  profit  to  the  composer.     Much  of  the  old 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  51 

harmony  was  composed  by  doctors  of  divinity  and 
men  of  great  learning,  who  devoted  their  lives  to 
the  service  of  the  church ;  amongst  whom  may  be 
mentioned,  in  addition  to  those  before  named — 
Elway  Bevin ;  Christopher  Gibbons ;  Peter  Rog- 
ers; John  Hilton;  Dr.  Rogers;  Dr.  Child;  A. 
Bryne ;  Dr.  Blow ;  Jeremiah  Clark  ;  Humphrey ; 
Wise ;  Patrick ;  Dr.  Aldrich ;  Weldon ;  Dr.  Croft ; 
Creighton  ;  Dr.  Turner ;  King ;  Dr.  Greene ;  Bat- 
tishili ;  Travers ;  Purcell ;  Robert  White ;  Batten ; 
Webbe ;  Goldwin  ;  Matthew  Lock ;  Tompkins ; 
Shephard  ;  Nares  ;  Dean  ;  Kelway  ;  Attwood  ; 
Alcock ;  R.  Cooke ;  Dr.  Cooke ;  Dr.  Hayes ;  Dr. 
Crotch ;  and  many  others.  Whoever  is  not  fami- 
liar with  these  authors  ought  to  be  very  shy  about 
speaking  of  church  music. 

Concerning  chants,  while  we  are  not  to  be  con- 
fined strictly  to  the  old  models,  yet  it  is  dangerous 
to  wander  far  from  them.  Our  modern  double 
chants  are  quite  too  florid  and  melodic,  some  of 
them  being  more  like  a  psalm-tune  than  a  chant. 
People  can  not  judge  of  the  Gregorian  chants  by 
what  they  see  in  certain  recent  publications,  where 
they  appear  in  a  secular  dress. 

It  is  the  fashion,  in  some  quarters,  to  decry  the 
old  church  modes,  together  with  the  Greek  and 
Hebrew  music,  as  barren  and  monotonous.     Such 


52  HINTS     CONCERNING 

people  seem  to  think,  that  because  secular  and 
instrumental  music  have  passed  the  narrow  bounds 
of  the  ecclesiastical  style,  they  may  introduce  their 
new  and  charming  conceits  into  the  church,  but 
not  so;  the  characteristics  of  divine  worship  re- 
main unchanged.  Those  thoughtless  persons,  who 
would  introduce  gay  and  meretricious  composi- 
tions, for  the  sake  of  pleasing  the  youth,  are  not 
worthy  of  notice ;  for  albeit  we  may  make  no 
boasts  of  piety,  yet  who  so  impious  as  not  to  pay 
his  devoirs  to  religion. 

Church  music,  then,  has  one  fixed  and  unaltera- 
ble purpose,  high  above  the  fickleness  of  all  fantas- 
tic and  fashionable  embellishment,  and  can  never 
change,  but  with  the  attributes  of  Jehovah. 

The  principal  reason  why  the  ancient  music  of 
the  Church  has  fallen  into  neglect  in  our  coun- 
try, is,  that  it  was  so  much  caricatured  by  the 
Puritans.  Even  at  the  present  day,  some  of  our 
best  singers  inherit  the  old  Puritanic  drawl.  They 
seem  to  think  that  the  word  Choral,  means  slow 
and  heavy ;  and  are  possessed  with  the  idea,  that 
all  the  tunes  which  are  written  in  semibreves  and 
minims  must  be  sung  in  a  heavy,  drawling  man- 
ner, when  in  truth  the  notes  have  nothing  to  do 
with  the  lime  —  the  words  and  the  construction  of 
the  music  must  govern  that.     Breves  and  semi- 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  53 

breves  are  the  church's  characters  —  they  are  plain, 
and  easy  to  read,  and  keep  the  music  of  the 
church  separate  from  other  music.  Crotchets  and 
quavers  belong  to  the  theatre.  The  "  Old  Hund- 
red" and  "  Dundee,"  therefore,  are  not  dirges,  but 
the  most  rejoicing  anthems  in  the  world,  when  the 
words  are  of  such  a  character.  It  is  a  mockery  to 
caricature  the  words  usually  set  to  the  "  Old  Hund- 
red," by  drawling  them  out  in  a  slow  and  un- 
meaning way.  The  Rev.  W.  H.  Havergal,  in  the 
preface  to  one  of  his  publications,  makes  the 
following  remarks : 

"  The  time  and  pitch  of  tunes  in  older  days,  were  not 
exactly  as  they  now  are.  The  old  singers  sang  at  a  greater 
speed  than  modern  singers.  A  dozen  verses,  reduced  to  six 
by  a  double  tune,  formed  a  very  moderate  portion  for  one 
occasion.  The  modern  drawl,  which  makes  four  single  ver- 
ses quite  long  enough,  was  most  likely  occasioned  by  the 
innovations  upon  the  syllabic  style.  When  crotchets,  qua- 
vers, and  flourishing  turns  found  admission  into  parish 
choirs,  a  slowness  of  performance  necessarily  followed.  The 
introduction  of  tunes  in  triple  measure,  where  the  accented 
semibreve  or  minim  is  divided  into  two  slurred  notes,  was 
also  fatal  to  the  continuance  of  pure  psalmody.  All  such 
tunes  occasion  a  slow  and  languid  utterance." 

As  to  the  triple  measure,  to  which  Mr.  Havergal 
alludes,  it  has  been  found  to  be  in  some  respects 
better  suited  to  the   English  tongue  than  the  com- 
mon time,  inasmuch  as  our  language  has  fewer 
5* 


54  HINTS     CONCERNING 

accented  syllables  than  the  Latin  and  some  other 
languages  '7  but  it  can  never  be  sung  by  a  congre- 
gation nor  by  any  save  skillful  vocalists,  because 
it  requires  a  degree  of  sustaining  power  which 
crude  singers  know  nothing  about.  The  triple 
measure  is  good  for  occasional  use,  but  the  com- 
mon time  is  the  best,  and  when  the  music  is 
written  in  the  subservient  and  syllabic  form,  the 
accent  can  be  varied  at  pleasure. 
Dr.  Watts  says  s 

"  It  were  to  be  wished,  that  we  might  not  dwell  so  long 
on  every  note,  and  produce  the  same  syllables  to  such  tire- 
some extent,  with  a  constant;  uniformity  of  time;  which 
disguises  the  music,  and  puts  the  congregation  quite  out  of 
breath ;  whereas,  if  the  method  of  singing  were  but  reform- 
ed to  a  greater  speed  of  pronunciation,  we  might  often  enjoy 
the  pleasure  of  a  longer  psalm,  with  less  expense  of  time 
and  breath ;  and  our  psalmody  would  be  more  agreeable  to 
that  of  the  ancient  churches,  more  intelligible  to  others,, 
and  more  delightful  to  ourselves." 

Dr.  Miller,  on  the  same  subject,  says  : 

"  Instead  of  the  odious  absurdity  of  giving  the  same 
length  of  sound  to  every  syllable,  whether  long  or  short, 
to  every  word,  be  it  ever  so  emphatical,  or  only  an  article  or 
expletive ;  instead  of  hearing  in  our  churches  unmeaning 
sound,  which  scarcely  deserves  the  name  of  music,  we  shall 
be  delighted  with  what  constitutes  its  very  essence." 

Mr.  Cope,  in  his  lectures,  remarked  that, 


CHURCH    MUSIC.  55 

"  With  the  death  of  Dr.  Boyce  in  1799,  closed  the 
school  of  English  Church  Music,  after  an  existence  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  years,  from  1530  to  1780.  This  school 
existed  as  long  as  any  school  in  the  world,  even  that  of 
painting.  Subsequent  musicians  had  not  the  conception  of 
writing  for  the  church;  they  had  the  glaring  fault  of  strain- 
ing to  produce,  by  great  effects,  grand  and  sublime  strains, 
and  we  see  their  utter  failure.  During  the  two  hundred 
and  fifty  years'  existence  of  the  school  of  music,  the  produc- 
tions of  the  old  masters  always  had  a  solemn  and  devotional 
character  and  never  ceased  to  be  the  music  of  the  church. 
As  for  Mozart,  he  was  so  secular  that  you  would  not  know 
his  music  was  sacred,  if  you  were  not  informed  of  it  at  the 
time  it  was  being  performed." 

One  of  the  most  lamentable  facts  to  be  noted,  is 
the  total  neglect  of  the  minor  mode.  It  is  gener- 
ally supposed  that  music  in  this  mode  must  neces- 
sarily be  whined  out  in  a  sad  and  gloomy  manner, 
merely  because  our  Puritan  fathers  did  so,  but  the 
old  English  composers  wrote  the  most  jubilant 
anthems  in  this  mode,  and  it  is  far  more  chaste 
and  majestic  than  the  major. 

Just  let  our  "Windsor"  be  sung  right  lustily 
and  with  the  whole  heart,  as  the  psalm  prescribes, 
and  it  will  be  found  that  what  the  poet  has  said  of 
this  old  "  Dundee  "  is  not  extravagant.  Let  the 
words  be  —  "  Joy  to  the  world,  the  Lord  is  come.'5 

Music  in  this  style  is  always  your  humble  ser- 
vant. The  accent  may  be  varied  at  pleasure,  and 
it  may  be  loud  or  soft,  fast  or  slow,  solemn  or  gay. 


CHAPTER    V. 

Having  just  hinted,  in  the  foregoing  pages,  at 
what  music  is,  and  what  it  is  not,  I  have  bethought 
me  to  cast  some  reflections  at  the  hindrances  in 
the  way  of  real  church  music ;  amongst  which  may- 
be reckoned,  first,  an  inordinate  indulgence  in  that 
intensely  sensual  and  enervating  exotic,  the  Italian 
Opera. 

With  the  loss  of  liberty,  the  Italians  lost  all ; 
and,  corrupted  by  their  various  invaders,  plunged 
into  sensuality  and  the  love  of  pleasure.  Thus 
was  the  national  mind  so  enervated,  that  this  once 
great  people  is  well  nigh  degenerated  into  a  nation 
of  priests,  beggars,  fiddlers,  etc.  The  recent  music 
of  Italy,  that  "  land  of  great  faith  and  lax  morals," 
is  all  sense  —  mere  musical  dissipation;  which  fol- 
lows consequently  upon  the  dissipation  of  the 
national  mind;  for  music  is  a  sure  intellectual 
barometer.  What  are  the  thoughts  of  an  Italian 
when  compared  with  those  of  an  Englishman  ? 
Do  they  often  rise  above  love,  music,  and  maca- 
roni ? 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  57 

"  Pythagoras,  who  paid  the  greatest  attention  to  the 
science  of  music,  deemed  it  the  duty  of  a  philosopher  to  look 
upon  it  as  an  intellectual  study,  and  censured  the  judg- 
ing of  music  by  the  senses.  He  required  that  it  should 
be  examined  by  the  rules  of  harmonic  proportion." 

Modern  Italian  operas  are,  as  some  have  inti- 
mated, pretty  much  alike  ;  one  composer  being  but 
an  imitator  of  another.  They  all  dazzle  at  first, 
but  soon  pall  upon  the  ear.  Nevertheless,  they 
often  afford  a  good  exhibition  of  the  vocal  art, 
which  is  the  secret  of  their  attraction  with  musi- 
cians, and  but  for  which,  two  or  three  perform- 
ances would  suffice,  like  those  of  a  circus  company. 

The  influence  of  light  music  develops  itself  in 
the  performances  of  some  of  our  musical  societies. 
The  Handel  and  Haydn  Society  was  chartered 
"for  the  purpose  of  extending  the  knowledge  and 
improving  the  style  of  performance  of  church  mu- 
sic" How  much  has  the  style  of  church  music 
been  improved  by  the  performance  of  that  blas- 
phemous, nondescript,  and  hackneyed  composi- 
tion, Rossini's  "  Stabat  Mater  "  ?  —  a  part  of  which 
is  only  fit  for  martial  music,  whilst  other  portions 
only  require  scenic  effects  and  action,  to  fit  them 
for  the  theatre.  The  music  and  the  words  are 
entirely  antagonistic,  and  nobody  but  a  barbarian 
can  sing  the  music  in  its  true  character,  when 
coupled  with  words  of  such  awful  and  tender  im- 


58  HINTS     CONCERNING 

port,  without  doing  violence  to  his  own  feelings. 
But  luckily  for  most  of  the  young  amateurs  who 
take  part  in  the  performance,  they  know  nothing 
about  the  words;  whilst  the  opera  singers,  who 
are  dragged  in  to  compete  with  the  theatre,  care 
nothing  about  them.  What  a  falling  off  must 
there  be  in  the  intellect  of  this  old  society,  and 
how  short-sighted  its  management,  when  it  is  thus 
prostituted  from  the  high  purposes  for  which  it 
was  founded,  to  the  performance  of  such  popish 
and  impious  rubbish.  But,  says  one,  "  It  pays 
best;"  which  saying  may  not  prove  to  be  true,  in 
the  long  run.  But,  saying  nothing  about  the 
damage  to  the  cause  of  music,  wrhat  is  a  little 
present  gain,  compared  to  the  ultimate  loss  of  rep- 
utation, and  ruin  which  must  ensue,  whenever  the 
intelligent,  who  give  the  tone  to  public  opinion, 
set  their  faces  against  such  things  ?  The  Handel 
and  Haydn  Society,  by  fostering  such  trash,  not 
only  involve  the  forfeiture  of  their  charter,  but  dis- 
grace the  name  of  Handel.  But,  says  another, 
"  It  is  fine  music ; "  so  it  is,  perhaps,  for  the  stage 
—  for  battle  and  murder ;  but  not  for  the  Saviour 
bleeding  on  the  cross.  It  has  been  asserted,  and 
whether  truly  or  not,  the  result  justifies  the  belief, 
that  Rossini,  being  a  Jew,  composed  this  music  in 
the  most  impious  strain  possible,  in  order  to  show 
his  contempt  for  the  Christian  religion. 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  59 

As  a  result  of  such  performances,  let  it  be  here 
recorded,  that,  at  a  recent  dedication  of  a  Baptist 
church  in  Boston,  Rossini's  "  Inrlammatus  "  was 
per 'formed,  and  that,  too,  in  Italian.  Songs  to  the 
Virgin  in  a  Protestant  church,  and  at  the  dedica- 
tion !     What  say  the  «  Holy  Alliance  "  to  this  ?  "* 

A  clergyman  must  feel  himself  but  poorly  fitted 
for  his  office,  when  his  education  has  been  so 
neglected  in  the  matter  of  ecclesiastical  music  as 
to  allow  such  exhibitions.  Indeed,  we  can  hardly 
enter  a  church  in  Boston  without  hearing  some 
familiar  strains  from  an  opera. 

To  one  of  our  younger  musical  societies,  be- 
longs the  honor  of  having  first  produced,  in  this 
country,  that  master-piece  of  all  choral  works,  Han- 
del's "  Israel  in  Egypt. "  This  work  was  most 
faithfully  and  carefully  prepared,  having  been 
patiently  rehearsed  under  Mr.  J.  G.  Webb  ;  and 
the  result  was,  beyond  question,  the  most  perfect 
performance  ever  heard  in  this  city,  and  an  occa- 
sion not  to  be  forgotten.  It  was  done  on  the 
evening  of  Saturday,  March  the  first,  1851,  under 
the  conduct  of  Mr.  Lowell  Mason,  the  orchestral 
force    being    similar   to    that  employed  by  Han- 

*This  was  proved  to  be  partly  erroneous.  The  person  upon 
whose  authority  it  was  stated,  alleges  that  he  could  distinguish 
no  English  words,  and  we  know  that  words  can  hardly  be  spoken 
at  all  in  the  screaming  portions  of  that  music. 


60  HINTS     CONCERNING 

del.  The  organ  was  handled  by  a  young  'En- 
glish organist,  who  played  with  such  precision, 
spirit,  promptness  and  power,  as  might  have 
satisfied  the  immortal  composer  himself.  This 
composition  is  by  all  means  the  most  suitable 
for  choral  societies,  when  they  can  command  a 
strong,  double  choir.  It  only  requires  a  moderate 
orchestra,  and  a  good  organ,  well  played.  If  our 
musical  societies  were  to  unite,  for  a  season,  in 
the  performance  of  this  great  work,  what  crowds 
would  give  audience.  Suppose  then,  that  instead 
of  burlesquing  respectable  operas,  or  running  a 
sort  of  scrub-race  to  see  who  shall  "come  out" 
first  with  the  most  imperfect  performance,  they 
should  thus  unite  and  give  us  something  truly 
great. 

Aristotle  says  : 

"  Every  kind  of  music  is  good  for  some  purpose  or  other ; 
that  of  the  theatre  is  necessary  for  the  amusement  of  the 
mob  ;  the  theatrical  transitions,  and  the  tawdry  and  glaring 
melodies  in  use  there,  are  suited  to  the  perversion  of  their 
minds,  and  let  them  enjoy  them." 

But  whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  music  of 
the  theatre,  surely  none  can  be  indifferent  to  that 
part  of  the  art  which  "  raises  such  heavenly  con- 
templations in  the  mind."  Says  an  old  writer : 
"  The  passions  that  are  excited  by  ordinary  com- 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  61 

positions  generally  flow  from,  such  silly  and  absurd 
occasions,  that  a  man  is  ashamed  to  reflect  upon 
them  seriously ;  but  the  fear,  the  love,  the  sorrow, 
the  indignation,  that  are  awakened  in  the  mind  by 
hymns  and  anthems,  make  the  heart  better,  and 
proceed  from  such  causes  as  are  altogether  praise- 
worthy. Pleasure  and  duty  go  hand  in  hand,  and 
the  greater  our  satisfaction  is,  the  greater  is  our 
religion." 

Young  persons  are  rarely  to  be  trusted  in  the 
matter  of  church  music,  and,  naturally  enough, 
perhaps,  fall  into  the  lighter  style.  Later  in  life, 
after  the  enthusiasm  of  youth  and  the  thirst  for 
novelty  are  past,  and  when  the  devotional  senti- 
ments come  to  be  developed,  they  are  better 
qualified  to  judge  of  music.  They  then  realize 
their  youthful  vanities,  and  cling  to  the  classics  as 
the  only  true  source  of  edification  and  lasting 
pleasure. 

There  are  in  almost  every  church  and  religious 
society  certain  fickle-minded  young  men,  who  are 
afflicted  with  the  Italian  opera,  who  spend  their 
evenings  perchance  with  Donizetti,  and  who  judge 
of  church  singers  by  that  which  disqualifies  them 
for  the  office,  viz.,  their  proficiency  in  Italian  song, 
which  requires  a  state  of  mind  and  feeling  not  at 
all  consonant  with  worship.  These  young  charac- 
6 


62  HINTS     CONCERNING 

ters  are  often  loud  in  their  complaints  about  the 
music  at  church  —  "O!  it  is  perfectly  horrid.'' 
Now  and  then  they  can  draw  into  their  circle 
some  older  person,  whose  ignorance  of  music  is 
only  equalled  by  his  self-conceit,  and  who  may 
have  indulged  himself  a  little  in  the  psalmody  of 
"Billings  and  Holden."  Now,  you  have  only  to 
wound  the  conceit  of  such  a  man  to  make  him 
your  mortal  enemy  ;  for  his  only  wonder  is,  "  that 
one  small  head  can  carry  all  he  knows."  Such 
parties  sometimes  contrive  to  keep  up  a  continual 
buzzing  in  the  congregation.  But  what  need  the 
well-advised  church  musician  and  ritualist  care 
for  the  nestlings  of  such  "  church  mice  ?  "  for  it 
has  been  observed  that  such  busy-bodies  contribute 
little  or  nothing  to  the  support  of  worship. 

Such  worldlings  object  to  the  devout  minor 
mode,  which  ought  by  all  means  to  be  equal  with, 
if  not  to  prevail  over  the  major,  in  church.  Not 
long  ago,  one  such  person  approached  the  organ- 
ist of  one  of  our  churches,  after  the  singing  of  the 
tune  which  we  call  "  Windsor,"  and  said,  "  Why 
will  you  persist  in  singing  these  minor  tunes  ? " 
Yes,  "  Windsor  !"  that  which  by  common  consent 
of  musicians,  is  the  best  specimen  of  metrical 
psalmody  extant.  What  a  commentary  on  this 
man's  mind  and  heart ;  for  if  music  is  an  intellec- 
tual  barometer,  it  is   not  a  less  sure  devotional 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  63 

touch-stone.  Such  men  as  these  sometimes  at- 
tempt to  criticise  ecclesiastical  music.  They  think 
that  they  must  understand  the  music  they  hear. 
but  how  can  they  do  this  without  knowing  the 
science  ?  They  may  feel  it,  but  not  understand  it 
If  it  is  the  business  of  worshippers  to  seek  out  the 
mysteries  of  harmony,  then  the  church  is  converted 
into  a  music  school.  Words  are  the  medium  for 
worship,  and  if  these  meddlers  will  attend  to  their 
prayer-books,  the  music,  such  as  the  sound  church 
musician  uses,  will  aid  them  in  their  devotions. 

Quintillian,  in  his  remarks  on  the  importance  of 
the  study  of  music,  thus  defines  the  kind  of  music 
to  be  studied  :  "  I  do  not  mean,"  he  says,  "those 
effeminate,  lascivious  quavers  that  are  now  intro- 
duced upon  our  theatres,  and  deprive  us  of  the 
small  share  of  virility  that  still  remains  amongst 
us ;  but  the  music  which  heroes  themselves  used. 
I  do  not  mean  the  lewd  airs  practised  upon  flutes 
and  fiddles,  such  as  a  young  lady  of  any  reputa- 
tion would  be  ashamed  of;  but  that  kind  which 
being  founded  upon  rational  principles,  is  of  the 
greatest  efficacy  in  raising  or  soothing  the  pas- 
sions." 

Modern  Italian  music  has  otherwise,  indirectly, 
injured  sacred  music.  A  British  publication  fur- 
nishes the  following  extracts,  on  the  rise  of  the 
musical  pitch : 


64  HINTS     CONCERNING 

"  A  pamphlet  was  published  three  or  four  years  since  by 
Mr.  Richard  Clark,  a  vetern  lay  vicar  choral  of  Westmin- 
ster Abbey,  in  which  he  gives  some  curious  illustrations  of 
the  rise  in  the  pitch  of  musical  instruments,  which  has  occur- 
red of  late  years.  Mr.  Clark  has  the  good  fortune  to  possess 
a  tuning-fork  (A,)  which  belonged  to  Handel.  He  also 
possesses  a  bell,  supposed  to  be  about  five  hundred  years  old, 
which  came  from  a  monastery  in  Spain,  and  the  note  of 
which  corresponds  exactly  with  Handel's  fork  A ;  and  he 
shows  that  the  old  bell  at  Westminster  Abbey,  which  was 
given  to  that  Abbey  in  1430,  and  recast  in  1599,  gives  D 
natural  exactly  in  accordance  with  the  pitch  of  Handel's 
fork  and  of  the  Spanish  bell. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  he  shows  that  the  pitch  used  at  the 
'Philharmonic  and  the  Opera,  is  a  tone,  or  a  tone  and  a  half, 
above  what  it  was  in  Handel's  time ;  and  the  pitch  having 
been  so  much  strained  and  forced  above  the  natural  compass 
of  the  voice,  to  accommodate,  show  off,  and  make  the  instru- 
ments brilliant,  neither  treble,  contratenor,  tenor,  nor  bass, 
can  sing  with  effect  the  pieces  allotted,  and  originally  com- 
posed in  that  particular  key,  without,  as  it  were,  straining 
their  eyes  out  of  their  heads.  'Vocal  Music,'  continues 
Mr.  Clark,  '  never  gave  more  delight  or  more  satisfaction 
than  when  the  pitch  was  a  whole  tone  lower  than  it  is  at  the 
present  time.  It  is  frequently  remarked,  we  shall  never 
have  Handel's  music  sung  as  it  was  by  Madame  Mara. 
Why  ?  it  may  be  asked.  Because  it  is  fashionable,  and  it 
is  expected,  that  singers  must  attempt  fiddle-passages,  there- 
fore have  no  command  over  their  voices.  Such  face-strain- 
ing and  screaming  certainly  surprises,  but  makes  no  lasting 
impression  on  the  ear  or  the  feelings,  which  was  the  case  in 
Mara's  time.' 

"  Two  questions  here  arise ;  which  are  thus  stated  and 
answered  by  Mr.  Clark. 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  65 

"  '  I  have  heard  it  asked,  How  did  the  bass  voices  in  the 
time  of  Orlando  Gibbons  sing  down  to  double  E,  and  in  the 
time  of  Purcell  sing  up  to  F  and  G,  and  down  to  double  D  ? 
I  answer,  that  the  bass  in  the  time  of  Gibbons  very  rarely 
was  required  to  sing  above  the  sixth  line  C,  and  therefore, 
not  being  forced  at  the  top,  could  always  command  double  E 
and  D  below. 

" '  In  regard  to  Purcell's  composition,  a  voice  had  been 
formed  by  nature  in  the  person  of  Mr.  Gosling,  of  Can- 
terbury, who  was,  on  the  25th  of  February,  1578,  sworn 
Gentleman  Extraordinary  of  the  Chapels  Royal,  for  whom 
Purcell  prepared  all  his  bass  songs  and  anthems. 

"  '  Dr.  Boyce,  it  is  understood,  composed  most  of  his  beau- 
tiful, but  very  high  anthems,  for  old  Mr.  Bellamy,  who  had 
a  very  high  bass  voice.  Mr.  R.  T.  S.  Stevens,  also  compos- 
ed many  of  his  glees  for  Mr.  Leete's  fine  deep  bass  voice. 
Dr.  Calcott  composed  that  beautiful  glee,  "  With  sighs, 
sweet  Rose,"  for  Mr.  W.  Knyvett.  Mr.  Horsely  composed 
that  grand  and  noble  composition,  "  Cold  is  Cadwallo's 
tongue,"  for  that  truly  great  English  singer,  that  orator  in 
music,  Mr.  Bartleman ;  and  many  other  compositions  could 
be  adduced  in  the  same  way.  These  composers  had  already 
the  voices  formed,  and  adapted  their  compositions  beautifully 
to  the  compass  of  those  several  voices.  But  these  singers 
could  not  sing  the  same  compositions  a  note  and  a  half 
higher  than  the  key  in  which  the  music  was  originally  com- 
posed for  them  ;  the  singers  would  thereby  be  much  distress- 
ed, and  probably  the  compositions  spoiled.'  " 

May  not  the  foregoing  be  taken  as  the  solution 
of  Handel's  trumpet  parts,  which  make  our  mod- 
em trumpeters  scowl  and  scold. 
6* 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Having  been  misinformed  in  regard  to  the  words 
used  in  connection  with  improper  music  at  the 
dedication  of  the  church  mentioned  in  our  last 
chapter,  it  is  a  satisfaction  to  contradict  that  slight 
misstatement.  The  music  in  itself  was  quite  suf- 
ficient,—  enough  indeed  to  satisfy  the  blindest 
devotee  to  the  meretricious  schools  of  modern 
Italy.  The  fulsome  and  indiscriminate  adulation 
heaped  upon  foreign  compositions,  musicians,  and 
teachers,  during  the  past  five  years,  is  not  without 
an  example.  About  a  century  and  a  quarter  ago, 
Farinelli,  a  handsome  and  very  celebrated  Italian 
singer,  captivated  half  the  women  in  London; 
and,  during  the  performance  of  a  certain  song,  one 
of  them  gave  vent  to  the  following  impious  ejacu- 
lation :  "  One  God,  one  Farinelli ! "  This  event 
has  been  satirized  by  Hogarth,  in  his  "  Rake's 
Progress."  Farinelli  is  there  represented  on  a  sort 
of  throne  or  altar,  upon  which  are  depicted  several 
hearts  pierced  with  arrows.     At  the  foot  of  this 


CHURCH    MUSIC.  67 

altar  a  female  is  kneeling  and  presenting  her  heart, 
whilst  the  above  named  ejaculation  proceeds  from 
her  mouth. 

"  Addison  says : 

"  We  no  longer  understand  the  language  of  our  own 
stage ;  insomuch,  that  I  have  often  been  afraid,  when  I 
have  seen  our  Italian  performers  chattering  in  the  vehe- 
mence of  action,  that  they  have  been  calling  us  names,  and 
abusing  us  among  themselves  ;  but  I  hope,  since  we  do  put 
such  an  entire  confidence  in  them,  they  will  not  talk  against 
us  before  our  faces,  though  they  may  do  it  with  the  same 
safety  as  if  it  were  behind  our  backs.  In  the  mean  time,  I 
can  not  forbear  thinking  how  naturally  an  historian  who 
writes  two  or  three  hundred  years  hence,  and  does  not  know 
the  taste  of  his  wise  forefathers,  will  make  the  following 
reflection ;  In  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the 
Italian  tongue  was  so  well  understood  in  England,  that 
operas  were  acted  on  the  public  stage  in  that  language. 

"One  scarce  knows  how  to  be  serious  in  the  confutation 
of  an  absurdity  that  shows  itself  at  the  first  sight.  It  does 
not  want  any  great  measure  of  sense  to  see  the  ridicule  of 
this  monstrous  practice ;  but  what  makes  it  the  more  aston- 
ishing, it  is  not  the  taste  of  the  rabble,  but  of  persons  of  the 
greatest  politeness,  which  has  established  it. 

"  If  the  Italians  have  a  genius  for  music  above  the  En- 
glish, the  English  have  a  genius  for  other  performances  of  a 
much  higher  nature,  and  capable  of  giving  the  mind  a  much 
nobler  entertainment. 

"  Music  is  certainly  a  very  agreeable  entertainment ;  but 
if  it  would  take  the  entire  possession  of  our  ears,  if  it 
would  make  us  incapable  of  hearing  sense,  if  it  would  ex- 
clude arts  that  have  a  much  greater  tendency  to  the  refine- 


68  HINTS     CONCERNING 

ment  of  human  nature,  I  must  confess  I  would  allow  it  no 
better  quarter  than  Plato  has  done. 

"  Our  present  notions  of  music  are  so  very  uncertain, 
that  we  do  not  know  what  it  is  we  like  ;  only,  in  general7 
we  are  transported  with  any  thing  that  is  not  English :  so 
it  be  of  a  foreign  growth,  let  it  be  Italian,  French,  or 
High-Dutch,  it  is  the  same  thing." 

If  Addison  found  reason  for  such  remarks  in  his 
time,  what  would  he  say  of  the  modern  Italian 
opera  ? 

Let  us  now  glance  at  that  hybrid  species  of 
music,  the  masses  of  Haydn  and  Mozart 

"They  are,  (says  Jebb,)  the  genuine  offspring  of  the 
opera,  though  trained  by  a  hand  of  greater  strength  than  is 
to  be  found  in  the  more  modern  Italian  school,  (the  encour- 
agement of  which,  is  on  many  most  serious  grounds  a  dis- 
grace to  the  English  nation,)  and  deeply  versed  in  the  most 
hidden  resources  of  an  exquisite  melody.  But  there  is  an 
exaggerated  expression  of  sentiment  foreign  to  our  national 
character,  and  inconsistent  with  its  manly  strength.  They 
are  in  a  style  neither  ecclesiastical  nor  English." 

Mozart  had  the  misfortune  to  live  in  a  secular 
age.  His  reputation  and  his  living  depended  on 
his  popularity  at  court,  and  to  be  out  of  favor 
there,  was  a  fatal  disaster.  His  new  and  brilliant 
instrumentation  was  eagerly  seized  upon  as  a 
fitting  adjunct  to  the  gay  pageantries  of  popery. 

"  In  the  Roman  choirs,  (continues  Jebb,)  the  secularity 
of  modern  times  has  introduced  theatrical  singers  into  a 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  69 

gallery,  to  execute  that  operatic  style  of  music,  which  has 
very  much  superseded  the  school  of  Palestrina  and  Allegri. 
Rome  has  heinously  trangressed  ancient  practice  in  grave 
matters,  whilst  in  the  particular  of  sacred  music  she  has 
sinned  against  the  decorum  of  public  worship  more  griev- 
ously than  any  church  upon  earth.  The  services  of  Pas- 
sion week  at  Rome  have  degenerated  into  a  mere  spectacle, 
which  people  go  to  hear  and  see  from  exactly  the  same 
motives  that  send  them  to  the  opera." 

Modern  masses  depend  very  much  upon  tawdry 
instrumental  effects,  and  require  the  aid  of  an 
orchestra.  They  are  peculiarly  adapted  to  the 
Latin  tongue,  and  are  part  and  parcel  of  the  sen- 
suality of  popery.  There  are  in  Boston  certain 
young  men  and  women  who  go  about  o'  nights 
singing  masses  in  unknown  tongues.  If  such  per- 
sons think  that  they  are  doing  any  thing  for  the 
improvement  of  church  music,  they  deceive  them- 
selves. On  the  other  hand,  if  they  seek  only 
amusement  and  vocal  exercise,  how  much  more 
rational  to  use  the  fine  old  English  glees  and  mad- 
rigals, or  the  fine  old  contrapuntal  church  compo- 
sitions by  the  best  English  masters.  Here  the 
words  combine  with  the  music  in  the  promotion 
and  refinement  of  all  the  generous  sentiments  and 
the  noble  and  devout  impulses  of  the  heart. 

Nothing  can  be  more  absurd  than  for  an  Eng- 
lishman (or  American)  to  study  Italian  song,  un- 


70  HINTS     CONCERNING 

less  he  be  first  well  instructed  in  English  singing, 
or  unless  he  intends  to  forsake  his  mother  tongue 
altogether.  To  intone  the  English  language  well, 
is  an  art  requiring  careful  study  and  practice, 
whilst  almost  any  person  who  can  open  his  mouth 
may  sing  Italian.  The  singing  of  English  re- 
quires that  smart  and  expert  action  of  the  lips  and 
tongue  which  is  necessary  for  the  quick  and  dis- 
tinct articulation  of  the  consonants  without  inter- 
fering with  the  vowels,  and  to  which  the  Italian 
and  German  are  entirely  opposed.  We  may  all 
call  to  mind  certain  cases,  amongst  our  female 
vocalists  especially,  where  the  almost  exclusive 
study  of  German  or  Italian  song  has  entirely  un- 
fitted them  for  the  articulation  of  English.  The 
common  remark  in  such  cases  is,  that  "  She  sings 
as  if  her  mouth  was  full  of  pudding."  The  great 
desideratum  in  Boston,  at  the  present  time,  is  a 
thorough  teacher  of  English  singing,  which  we 
have  not  had  since  the  death  of  that  perfect  mas- 
ter, John  Paddon. 

A  writer  in  Dwight's  Journal  of  Music  com- 
plains of  the  indistinctness  of  musical  utterance 
with  some  of  our  popular  vocalists,  "insomuch 
that  one  might  be  led  to  conjecture  that  the  use  of 
singing  was  to  stifle  words."  No  doubt;  but  is 
not  this  a  strange  complaint,  coming  as  it  does 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  71 

from  a  source  which  denies  the  existence  of  any 
English  school  of  music?  Who  can  ever  forget 
the  greatness  of  expression,  the  largeness  of  style, 
the  wonderful  effect,  which  characterized  the  sing- 
ing of  those  famous  exponents  of  the  English 
school,  —  Braham,  Phillips,  and  Anna  Bishop. 
What,  "  no  English  school,  but  only  singers  of 
English?  "  What  can  such  an  opinion  be  worth, 
when  it  comes  from  a  person  who  professes  his 
ignorance  of  English  church  music  —  of  that  which 
is  the  very  head  and  front  of  all  music,  and  in 
which  Handel  took  great  delight;  indeed,  he  was 
an  Englishman  in  every  thing  save  the  accident 
of  birth. 

Handel,  in  contrast  with  Mozart,  had  not  only 
the  advantage  of  a  maturer  age  and  a  riper  judg- 
ment, but  he  had  also  the  good  fortune  to  write  for 
English  ears  and  for  the  devout  English  mind. 
At  the  age  of  about  forty  years  he  gave  up  the 
Italian  opera,  and  turned  his  attention  to  the  sacred 
oratorio  ;  "  a  pursuit,  which  was  better  suited,"  as 
he  himself  used  to  declare,  "  to  the  circumstances 
of  a  man  advancing  in  years,  than  that  of  adapting 
music  to  such  vain  and  trivial  poetry  as  the  musi- 
cal drama  is  generally  made  to  consist  of." 

"  Handel,   (says  Mr.  Hogarth,  in  his  recent  Survey  of 
Music,)  was  the  greatest  of  musicians;  and  it  is  not  more 


72  HINTS     CONCERNING 

probable  that  the  lustre  of  his  name  shall  be  dimmed  by 
age,  or  impaired  by  a  successful  rivalry,  than  that  any  such 
thing  shall  befall  the  names  of  Homer,  Milton,  or  Michael 
Angelo.  Since  his  day,  indeed,  music,  in  some  respects,  has 
been  progressive.  But  the  music  of  the  church,  —  the  no- 
blest branch  of  the  art,  —  has  remained  unchanged  for  gen- 
erations, and  will  probably  remain  unchanged  for  generations 
to  come.  Founded  on  the  great  principles  of  harmony, 
established  by  the  ecclesiastical  composers  of  the  sixteenth 
and  seventeenth  centuries,  it  is  constructed  of  materials  over 
which  time  has  small  power ;  and  the  few  ornaments  which 
may  be  applied  to  it  by  the  varying  taste  of  different  ages, 
can  but  slightly  affect  the  aspect  of  its  massive  and  colossal 
structure.  Compared  to  this,  accordingly,  all  other  kinds 
of  music  appear  to  be  fleeting  and  ephemeral.  In  every 
country  it  is  the  oldest  music  that  is  extant ;  and  in  our 
own,  the  walls  of  our  cathedrals  may  still  re-echo  the  sacred 
strains  of  Gribbons  and  Tallis,  Purcell  and  Boyce,  after  all 
the  profane  music  that  has  been  produced,  from  their  days 
to  our  own,  shall  have  been  swept  away.  It  is  on  this 
foundation  that  Handel  has  built  the  stupendous  choruses 
of  his  oratorios.  Their  duration  is  independent  of  the  muta- 
bility of  taste  or  fashion.  They  make  the  same  impression 
now  as  when  they  were  heard  for  the  first  time ;  and  will 
continue  to  act  on  the  mind  with  undiminished  power  so 
long  as  the  great  principles  of  human  nature  shall  remain 
unchanged." 

"  In  England,  (says  another  writer,)  Dr.  Tye  had  the 
merit,  even  before  the  time  of  Palestrina,  of  abandoning,  in 
some  of  his  compositions,  the  artificial  and  complicated 
methods  of  his  day ;  and  Tallis,  Byrd,  Gribbons  and  others, 
during  the  Elizabethan  age,  profiting  by  his  works  and 
those   of   Palestrina,   succeeded    in  bringing   ecclesiastical 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  73 

music  to  a  state  of  grandeur,  simplicity  and  purity,  which 
has  never  been  surpassed. 

"  It  is  singular  that  English  composers  alone,  should, 
down  to  the  present  day,  have  adhered  to  the  exclusive 
ecclesiastical  style ;  but  to  this  distinction  they  are  unques- 
tionably entitled ;  and  it  may  well  console  us  for  our  ad- 
mitted inferiority  in  music  of  a  theatrical  and  miscellaneous 
nature." 

"  Our  music  (continues  Hogarth)  consecrated  to  religion, 
retains  the  grand  and  solemn  harmony  of  the  old  masters. 
It  admits  none  of  those  light  and  tripping  measures,  which, 
in  the  words  of  Pope,  — 

'Make  the  soul  dance  upon  a  jig  to  heaven,' 

or  rather,  draw  it  down  from  those  heavenly  contempla- 
tions which  religious  music  ought  to  inspire,  and  fill  the 
mind  with  thoughts  of  trifling  amusements.  England  is 
thus  entitled  to  boast  that  her  cathedral  music  is  superior  to 
that  of  any  other  country,  and  that  while  the  music  of  the 
church  in  Italy,  and  even  Germany,  has  degenerated,  ours 
retains  the  solemn  grandeur  of  the  olden  time." 

"  A  great  people  who  possess  the  instinct  of  great  things !  " 
exclaimed  Hector  Berlioz,  after  attending  a  choral  festival 
at  St.  Paul's ;  "  the  soul  of  Shakspeare  is  in  them  !  " 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Notwithstanding  church  music  is  the  one  idea 
with  which  we  set  out,  and  to  which  we  intend  to 
confine  our  hints,  nevertheless  it  becomes  neces- 
sary to  notice,  from  time  to  time,  such  collateral 
and  kindred  subjects  as  are  inseparably  connected 
with  it.  To  the  pernicious  influences  already 
noticed,  as  opposed  to  any  just  ideas  of  church 
music,  may  be  added  that  of  the  modern  music  of 
the  Germans.  Following  the  bent  of  the  mystical 
German  mind,  their  music,  as  well  as  their  specu- 
lative philosophy  or  theology,  have  all  run  together 
into  the  mud.  During  these  latter  days  there  have 
sprung  up  in  Germany  certain  philosophers,  so 
called,  resembling  somewhat,  it  is  said,  the  ancient 
Greek  philosophers,  only  with  this  difference,  that 
the  ancients  professed  to  be  guided  by  reason, 
whereas  the  problems  of  our  moderns  outrun  all 
human  understanding.  This  kind  of  mysticism  is 
called  Idealism;  Or  in  theology,  Pantheism;  and 
more  familiarly,  Transcendentalism.     The  propor- 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  75 

tion  of  each  required  to  make  a  skeptic  or  a  luna- 
tic, depends,  no  doubt,  upon  the  strength  of  the 
patient.  Quite  certain  it  is,  however,  that  it  has 
cracked  the  noddles  of  half  a  score  of  little  minis- 
ters in  and  about  Boston  and  New  England. 

That  epicurean  idea —  socialism  —  is  one  of  the 
results  ;  and  then,  spiritualism — that  fruitful  cause 
of  insanity,  suicide,  and  murder.  Surely,  only 
evil  can  follow  any  attempt  to  comprehend  the 
spirit,  or  to  discover  "  deep  things  out  of  dark- 
ness," for  such  knowledge  is  "  too  wonderful "  for 
mortals.  We  should  then  "  be  as  gods."  "  Should 
a  wise  man  utter  vain  knowledge,  and  fill  his  belly 
with  the  east  wind  ?  Should  he  reason  with  un- 
profitable talk  ? "  It  soon  comes  to  pass,  with 
those  who  yield  themselves  to  the  fascinations  of 
mysticism,  or  who  let  the  imagination  run  riot  on 
a  sea  of  speculation,  that  the  understanding  is 
overturned.  Those  who  deal  altogether  in  ideas, 
or  who  live  in  the  ideal  world,  soon  lose  all  relish 
for  the  actual  and  real,  and  things  addressed  to  the 
understanding  are  called  dull  or  "quaint."  In 
literature,  nothing  short  of  romanticism  has  any 
charms  for  them ;  and,  in  order  to  give  greater 
scope  and  excitement  to  the  imagination,  their 
ideas,  (if  they  have  any,)  must  be  expressed  with 
the   utmost   vagueness,    and    so    obfuscated   with 


76  HINTS     CONCERNING 

tropes  and  figures  as  to  render  them  unintelligible 
to  the  reader,  if  not  to  themselves.  This  shows 
itself  in  the  musical  literature  of  our  day.  The 
following  extracts,  cut  from  the  first  papers  that 
come  to  hand,  may  be  taken  as  a  sample  of  that 
kind  of  transcendental  garbage,  which  at  times 
almost  entirely  fills  the  columns  of  a  journal  pub- 
lished in  Boston,  and  which  bear  a  striking  resem- 
blance to  certain  editorial  reveries  : 

"  And  yet,  in  spite  of  all,  this  harmless  play  with  tone- 
forms  is  a  fountain  head,  —  and  one  that  can  never  be  dried 
up,  —  for  our  art  and  for  the  well-being  of  humanity  in 
general.  From  within  outward  stirs  this  play,  and  its 
attractive  charm,  in  the  very  process  of  our  life.  The 
breath  draws  the  vital  air  into  the  lungs ;  the  air  exhausted 
of  its  vitality  oppresses,  stifles  us,  and  must  be  discharged 
to  make  room  for  the  renovating  inspiration.  Expiration  is 
deliverance,  it  is  renewal  of  life's  hope ;  its  energy  is  a 
becoming  aloud  —  is  voice  ;  all  higher  life  has  voice ;  voice 
is  the  blossoming  of  the  breath,  of  the  inwardly  nourished 
flame  of  life..  In  the  voice  the  two  poles  of  life,  joy  and 
sorrow,  are  energetically  revealed.  In  the  richness  of  the 
voice  the  rich  activity  of  the  internal  life  process  announces 
itself.  In  the  voice  my  life  announces  itself  in  its  many- 
sidedness  and  fulness,  I  feel  it  and  others  understand  it ; 
and  that  is  a  feeling  of  self,  a  satisfaction  even  in  the  bit- 
terest shriek  of  pain.  That,  too,  is  consolation ;  only  hope- 
lessness and  absolute  despair  are  dumb  like  corporeal  death ; 
for  they  are  spiritual  death.  And  in  the  same  sense,  song, 
or  rather  '  singing,'  —  that  richest,  freest,  and  most  self- 
determining  and  limitless  play  among  the  sounds  of  my 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  77 

mner  life,  —  may  be  called  the  blossoming  of  the  voice.  So 
the  tree  rears  its  blossoms  to  the  sunlight,  and  so  shining 
insects  and  silken  butterflies,  belonging  to  this  tree,  like 
detached  blossoms  flit  about  those  fastened  ones,  which  have 
for  their  object  to  become  fruit ;  just  as  the  breath  of  life 
sends  forth  the  voice,  which  becomes  glorified  in  song.  And 
this  '  from  within  outward '  is  met  by  the  sympathetic  sen- 
sual charm  from  without  inward." 

This  nonsense  is  by  one  of  the  most  celebrated 
modern  German  theorists,  one  of  whose  works 
has  been  deemed  worthy  of  publication  in  this 
country. 

Here  is  another  extract  from  a  correspondent, 
"  J.  H.,"  whose  articles  are  a  perfect  specimen 
of  metaphysical  bombast 

"  When  all  the  many-hued  coruscations,  thrown  out  by 
the  pyrotechnics  of  tone  and  sound,  tire  the  imagination, 
the  inventor  falls  back  into  the  simplicity  of  the  pale  light, 
which  is  the  soul's  natural,  unexcited  rhythm. 

"  In  modern  poetry  the  analogy  of  pyrotechnics  is  equally 
applicable,  there  being  added  to  the  simple  rhythm  all  the 
exuberance  of  cultivated  and  developed  thought,  surround- 
ing the  mind  with  the  brilliancy  of  conceptions  that  have 
their  concrete  type  in  the  phenomena  of  Roman-lights,  sky- 
rockets and  parti-colored  spheres  of  dazzling  fire. 

"  In  conceding  to  music  her  own  world,  we  must  look  for 
her  power  in  that  exposition  of  feeling,  for  which  there  is 
no  other  adequate  representation  in  writing,  painting,  or 
sculpture.  Except  by  the  application  of  metaphor,  to  fur- 
ther description,  she  possesses  no  concrete  forms,  and  in  the 


78  HINTS     CONCERNING 

attempt  at  a  tone-painting  of  all  material  scenes,  we  have  to 
substitute  for  intellectual  thought  a  mere  cardiac  sensation  , 
and,  in  many  instances,  confound  one  with  the  other. 

"  We  have  said  that  her  world  was  her  own  ;  hence,  too,, 
her  nomenclature  springs  out  of  herself.  As  her  whole 
being  is  an  abstraction,  she  admits  of  no  description  out  of 
herself  by  an  alliance  with  concrete  forms. 

"  All  rhythm  springs  from  the  same  common  impulse  of 
our  humanity,  but  the  ornaments  of  tone  bring  it  up  before 
us  in  a  thousand  shapes,  and  each  individual  mind  possesses 
its  idiosyncrasy  of  tone-emotion." 

So  we  are  to  have  the  pyrotechnics  of  music, 
blue-lights,  sky-rockets  and  all.  O  marvellous  £ 
what  strange  hallucination  will  next  seize  upon 
young  Germany  ?  This  brings  to  mind  a  certain 
well-known  gentleman  whose  ideas  at  one  time 
got  the  mastery  over  him,  and  in  one  of  his  rev- 
eries he  found  himself  swinging  on  a  rainbow, 
and  emitting  certain  scintillations.  He  was  thus 
caricatured  in  the  newspapers  of  the  day.  Since 
then,  however,  he  has  recovered  his  reason.  This 
gentleman  once  delivered  a  lecture  in  Boston,  in 
which,  it  was  judged,  there  was  not  an  intelligible 
sentence,  from  beginning  to  end. 

As  an  inevitable  consequence,  mysticism  has  its 
corresponding  influence  upon  music,  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  more  recent  German  composi- 
tions may  be  styled  the  music  of  insanity.  What 
better  example  of  this  can  be  adduced,  than  a  cer- 


CHURCH    MUSIC.  79 

tain  symphony  by  Schumann,  once  performed  by 
the  Musical  Fund  Society  of  Boston,  and  which 
seemed  to  be  nothing  more  than  an  unmeaning 
aggregation  of  difficulties. 

Mr.  Chorley,  in  his  "  Recollections  and  Criti- 
cisms of  Modern  German  Music,"  recently  pub- 
lished at  London,  says : 

"  I  have  again  and  again  visited  North  and  South  Ger- 
many, and  there  has  been  no  modification  of  judgment  — 
no  re-statement  of  original  impressions.  It  has  been  my 
fortune  to  undergo  very  few  conversions  with  regard  to 
music  and  its  masters.  It  is  impossible  to  know  a  work 
thoroughly  on  a  first  hearing  :  but  unless  it  produce  from 
the  first  a  quick  desire  for  better  acquaintance — unless  the 
artist  at  first  displays  some  attribute  or  accomplishment  that 
attracts  —  it  may  be  only  a  damage  done  to  taste,  and  a 
loss  of  time,  on  subsequent  occasions  to  attempt  to  find 
beauty  where  none  suggested  itself — or  charm  in  that 
which  failed  to  charm  originally.  Such  attempts  are  apt  to 
end  in  the  listener  losing  his  discernment  of  good  from  evil, 
—  in  his  confusing  what  is  mediocre  with  what  is  great." 

The  opinions  of  Mr.  Chorley  are  certainly  enti- 
tled to  some  weight,  since,  during  a  period  of 
twelve  years,  he  has  had  frequent  opportunities  of 
hearing  these  compositions  performed,  under  the 
direction  of  the  composers  themselves.  Herr 
Wagner's  "Fleegende  Hollander"  was  produced 
complete  at  Dresden,  under  the  direction  of  the 
composer  himself,  favored  with  the  royal  patron- 


80  HINTS     CONCERNING 

age ;  and  in  spite  of  all,  failed  on  its  representa- 
tion. "After  a  spinning  song  and  chorus,  and  a 
wild  sea-tune,  audaciously  broken  in  rhythm,  (says 
Chorley,)  the  rest  of  the  work  produced  on  me 
merely  an  impression  of  grim  violence  and  dreary 
vagueness." 

Of  "  Tannhauser,"  the  overture  to  which  has 
been  the  subject  of  so  much  adulation  in  a  certain 
quarter,  Chorley  says : 

"  I  have  never  been  so  blanked,  pained,  wearied,  insulted 
even,  (the  word  is  not  too  strong,)  by  a  work  of  pretension 
as  by  this  same  '  Tannhauser.'  It  may  be  asserted  that 
no  opera  existed  before,  since  cradle-days  of  opera,  so  totally 
barren  of  rhythmical  melody.  There  is  a  brilliant  violin 
figure  at  the  close  of  the  overture,  more  than  once  used  by 
Cherubini.  This,  however,  is  so  stifled  by  the  dispropor- 
tioned  weight  of  the  brass  instruments,  as  merely  to  pro- 
duce that  impression  of  strain  which  accompanies  zeal  with- 
out result.  How  different  from  the  brilliancy  which  Che- 
rubini and  Weber  could  get  by  means  of  one-half  the 
difficulty,  when  they  tried  for  a  like  effect !  Throughout 
the  opera,  in  short,  beyond  a  whimsical  distribution  of 
instruments,  I  recollect  nothing  either  effective  or  agreeable 
—  but  grim  noise,  or  shrill  noise,  and  abundance  of  what  a 
wit  with  so  happy  a  disrespect  designated  "  broken  crock- 
ery "  effects  —  things  easy  enough  to  be  produced  by  those 
whose  audacity  is  equal  to  their  eccentricity.  The  cardinal 
fault  in  the  new  manner  of  composition  (or  decomposition) 
which  has  produced  fruits  so  little  satisfactory,  may  not 
solely  arise  from  Herr  Wagner's  perversity  and  poverty  in 
special  gifts  combined.     It  may  be  a  necessary  consequence 


CHURCH    MUSIC.  81 

of  the  times  we  are  living  in.  Being  progressive,  we  are 
expected  to  be  universal.  History  must  now  be  as  amusing 
as  romance  —  romance  must  be  as  profound  as  history. 
Poetry  must  run  into  the  loops  and  knots  and  ties  of 
didactic  prose ;  prose  must  borrow  all  the  garnitures  of 
poetry.  We  have  pictures  painted,  the  subject  and  scope  of 
which  are  not  to  be  understood  till  we  have  read  the  book 
which  describes  them.  We  have  books  written  which  are 
not  to  be  endured  until  they  have  been  informed  with  a 
meaning,  by  aid  of  "  pleasant  pictures."  So,  in  music,  the 
symphony,  besides  being  a  good  symphony,  must  now 
express  the  anguish  of  the  age,  or  of  some  age  past.  There 
must  be  story,  inner  meaning,  mystical  significance  —  in- 
tellectual tendency.  To  what  interpretations  of  Beethoven's 
quartettes  and  sonatas  have  we  not  been  exposed  !  Then 
the  opera  must  be  a  great  poem,  drama,  and  symphony  in 
one.  This  extension  of  desire  (not  to  call  it  misuse  of 
imagination)  may  be  lamented,  but  it  cannot  be  helped." 

Modern  German  music  may  excite  wonder,  but 
not  delight ;  its  chief  characteristic  being  icy  cold- 
ness. Its  beauties,  subject,  or  melody,  can  only  be 
discovered  by  the  efforts  of  a  highly  exalted  imagi- 
nation. This  reminds  one  of  the  miller's  sign, 
upon  which  he  was  to  be  represented  in  the  act  of 
looking  out  at  the  window,  but  the  painter,  failing 
to  comply  with  the  order,  assured  the  miller  that 
he  was  there,  only  that  he  had  just  taken  his  head 
in  for  a  moment.  Our  friend  of  "  Dwight's  Jour- 
nal "  boasts  about  "  our  Wagnerism,"  and  yet,  in 
a  recent  number  of  that  paper,  a  couple  of  Wag- 


82  HINTS     CONCERNING 

ner's  melodies  were  printed  as  curiosities,  so  rare 
are  they. 

But,  aside  from  mystical  tendency,  and  saying 
nothing  about  a  morbid  state  of  the  imagination, 
and  consequently,  morbid  admiration,  —  is  it  not 
possible  for  a  person  to  so  steep  himself  to  the 
eyes  in  German  literature,  as  to  become  an  enthu- 
siast ;  and  to  be  able  to  see  nothing  excepting 
through  German  spectacles*  Our  friend  of  the 
"  Journal "  praises  every  thing,  it  is  true ;  and  sets 
out  for  a  citizen  of  the  world  ;  but  it  is  only  when 
young  Germany  is  the  theme  that  he  rhapsodizes. 

Then  we  have  an  abundance  of  affected  phrase- 
ology about  "true,  honest  German  devotion  to 
Art,"  —  "  the  great  humanitary  sentiment,"  —  "  the 
tone-chambers  of  the  spirit,"  — "  the  inner  life  of 
the  soul,"  —  "  tone-pictures  of  Nature,"  —  "  the 
yearnings  of  the  spirit,"  —  "  our  common  human- 
ity," —  "  tone-pictures  of  the  sentiment  of  Nature,'' 
—  and  so  forth  to  the  end  of  a  long  chapter ;  all 
of  which  is  imported  from  Germany,  and  which 
is  doubtless  understood  by  the  readers  of  the 
"  Journal."  Some  persons  seem  to  be  possessed 
with  the  absurd  and  incomprehensible  idea  that 
pretends  to  an  unusual  degree  of  refinement  or 
spirituality,  and  "  mistake  certain  emotions  excited 
by  pictures,  poetry  or  music,  with  the  aid  of  good 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  88 

company,  for  taste  in  the  arts."  Perhaps  it  is  on 
account  of  such  people  that  Boston  has  been  some- 
times called  (ironically)  the  Athens  of  America. 

The  influence  of  young  Germany  upon  the 
music  of  the  church  may  be  reserved  for  a  future 
occasion.  In  the  mean  time,  let  the  crack-brained 
followers  of  the  progressive  school  examine  that 
beautiful  English  anthem,  "Where  shall  wisdom 
be  found,"  —  by  Dr.  Boyce. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

In  instrumental  and  orchestral  compositions,  or 
in  the  music  of  the  imagination,  the  world  has 
hitherto  conceded  the  palm  to  Germany ;  but  now, 
the  cisterns  are  broken.  Progress  indeed  they  may 
make,  but  it  is  a  progress  down  the  hill.  All  the 
studied  subtleties  of  harmony,  —  all  the  strange 
and  startling  transitions  and  modulations,  — all  the 
extrinsic,  dry,  and  mechanical  effects  of  crescendo, 
sfortzando,  and  the  like,  are  but  poor  substitutes 
for  the  promptings  of  genius.  The  fountain  is 
dry.  Our  thin  young  German  students  may  prate 
as  much  as  they  will  about  "  high  art"  but  it  is 
only  a  mechanic  art;  indeed,  every  thing  must 
now  be  prostituted  to  the  barrenness  of  modern 
German  art;  genius  is  overridden  by  art.  Even 
Beethoven's  sonatas,  which  so  far  outrun  all  other 
piano  music  as  scarcely  to  leave  any  other  in  sight 
—  even  these  are  now  looked  upon  rather  coldly. 
in  some  quarters,  because  they  do  not  suit  the 
newest  methods  of  fingering.     It  is  now  said  that 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  85 

Beethoven  did  not  know  how  to  write  for  the 
piano.  Is  there  any  thing  more  painful  than  to 
hear  some  nimble-fingered  popinjay  of  the  modern 
gymnastic  school,  cut  and  hack  the  fine  andante 
movements  of  Beethoven.  They  cannot  accept 
and  play  them  as  they  are,  but  want  to  do  some- 
thing in  the  way  of  art,  and  so  the  most  charming 
and  pathetic  melodies  must  be  tortured  with  sud- 
den and  spasmodic  accelerandos,  and  the  like. 
Perhaps  this  may  be  done  in  order  to  express  some 
fancied  anguish  in  the  mind  of  the  composer. 
Mendelssohn,  even,  has  now  become  an  "  old 
fogy,"  with  some  of  the  most  ultra  followers  of  the 
young  German  new  dispensation  —  which  is  de- 
scribed by  a  German  musical  writer,  as  "  the  pro- 
gress into  the  realm  of  the  most  unfettered  fancy." 
On  this  head,  an  able  writer  says : 

"  When  I  recall  how  the  light  of  Mendelssohn's  presence 
made  a  second-rate  burgher  town  the  centre  of  musical 
interest  and  attraction  to  all  Germany  —  nay,  to  all  Europe 
—  it  becomes  sickening  to  think,  that  no  sooner  was  he  cold 
in  his  grave,  than  his  shallow  and  fickle  townsmen  began  to 
question  among  themselves  how  far  they  had  been  adminis- 
tering to  a  real  greatness.  We  English  have  so  long  sat 
under  German  censure  as  a  people  hard,  practical,  wanting 
in  musical  taste,  enthusiasm,  and  reverence  —  that  this  sud- 
den coolness  and  indifference,  nay  even  depreciation,  with 
which  the  name  and  the  works  of  Mendelssohn  were  treated 
immediately  after  his  decease,  in  his  own  land,  and  by  his 
8 


86  HINTS     CONCERNING 

own  townsmen,  must  be  recorded  as  facts  which  should 
silence  the  cavillers  for  ever  !  —  The  forgetfulness  into  which 
the  very  burial-places  of  Mozart  and  Gluck  were  allowed  to 
fall  by  the  Viennese  —  the  appeal  of  Beethoven,  in  the  last 
hours  of  his  earthly  desolation  and  pain,  to  the  charitable 
aid  of  an  English  Artists'  Society  —  are  not  more  emphatic 
as  an  answer  to  those  who  have  been  accustomed  to  exalt 
German  reverence  —  than  the  immediate  attempt  made  at 
Leipsic  to  place  upon  the  pedestal  vacated  by  the  melan- 
choly death  of  the  composer  of  '  Elijah,'  an  idol  no  worthier 
of  exaltation  than  Schumann.  Thus,  at  least,  we  English 
do  not  prove  our  admiration  and  our  constancy ! 

"  Nor  is  the  philosophical  ease  with  which  old  allegiances 
are  shaken  off,  and  the  professions  of  yesterday  are  falsified 
by  the  qualifications  of  to-day,  a  sign  which  bodes  well  for 
the  future  of  German  music.  That  feverish  impatience  of 
every  thing  like  duty  and  obligation,  that  wordy  crusade  in 
destruction  of  established  things,  without  the  least  whole- 
some or  consistent  plan  for  their  reconstruction  or  replace- 
ment—  which  have  been  so  singularly  displayed  in  the 
recent  political  movements  of  Germany,  and  so  lamentably, 
have  seized  upon  Music,  —  not  indeed  to  sap  its  foundations, 
but  to  bring  Babel- worship  into  its  temples." 

Instrumental  music  is  surely  the  proper  field  for 
the  play  of  the  imagination,  and  for  the  gratifica- 
tion of  the  senses,  but  even  here  it  must  be  re- 
strained within  reasonable  limits.  Touching  the 
organization  of  the  modern  orchestra,  a  recent  and 
somewhat  transcendental  German  writer  is  thus 
translated  in  "  Dwight's  Journal,"  —  (always  good 
authority  in  German  matters)  : 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  87 

"  The  firjst  peculiarity  which  one  remarks  in  the  new 
orchestration,  is  the  greatly  increased  variety  of  instruments, 
especially  of  the  wind  band,  thereby  necessitating  a  strength- 
ening of  the  mass  of  stringed  instruments.  Hence  there  is 
opposed  to  the  vocal  parts  (in  Opera  and  Cantata)  a  mass  of 
sound,  which  now  forces  the  voices  upward  and  to  extrava- 
gant accentuation,  and  now  stifles  the  voices  and  crowds 
even  the  chorus  into  violent  outbursts,  leading  the  composer 
to  employ  an  unfavorable  choice  of  instruments  if  he  would 
have  a  solo  penetrate  through  so  much  noise.  Thus  Meyer- 
beer in  a  certain  mournful  love-song  in  Gr  minor,  (I  think  in 
Robert  le  Diable,)  uses  the  trumpet  for  a  pathetic  cantilena ; 
the  same  thing  might  be  pointed  out  in  Auber  and  others. 

"  The  second  feature  is  the  unmanning  of  the  trumpet  and 
the  French  horn  (they  have  even  begun  upon  the  trombone) 
by  the  introduction  of  the  valve.  So  soon  as  one  ceases  to 
consult  truth,  the  only  characteristic  quality  that  there  is 
left  becomes  irrecognizable  and  unendurable.  Now  in  the 
whole  series  of  tone-personifications  there  are  no  characters 
of  a  more  decided  stamp  than  the  heroic  trumpet,  the 
dreamy  Wald-horn  in  its  natural  state.  Even  the  limita- 
tion and  incompleteness  of  their  scale  of  tones  is  something 
peculiar  to  their  character  and  nature ;  Achilles  with  the 
eloquence  and  cunning  of  Ulysses  were  no  more  Achilles. 
The  character  of  those  instruments,  their  very  limitation  as 
to  the  power  of  producing  all  tones  of  the  scale,  has  con- 
stantly challenged  the  appreciative  composer  to  invent 
characteristic  passages,  and  has  quite  frequently  rewarded 
his  fidelity  with  the  most  happy  inspirations. 

"  The  use  of  valves  and  pistons  has  certainly  extended  the 
domain  of  tones  ;  but  the  new  tones  are  partially  impure  ; 
the  characteristic,  pure  tone-color  is  entirely  blurred  and 
sophisticated,  the  power  of  tone  entirely  broken. 


88 


HINTS     CONCERNING 


"  The  third  trait  is  the  introduction  of  the  so-called  soft 
or  mellow  brass  band  —  the  Cornets,  Sax-horns,  Tubas  — 
as  you  may  please  to  call  them  —  into  the  orchestra. 

"  By  no  means  do  I  declare  war  here  against  newly  in- 
vented instruments,  or  old  instruments  restored.  Never- 
theless the  use  of  this  new  family  of  brass,  as  now  employed, 
must  appear  questionable,  nay,  generally  speaking,  a  perver- 
sion. For  this,  together  with  the  introduction  of  the  valve 
in  horns  and  trumpets,  obliterates  the  characteristic  features 
of  the  orchestra,  so  that  you  hardly  recognize  them. 

"  The  banishment  of  certain  important  instruments  goes 
hand  in  hand  with  this.  Thus  the  characteristic  Basset- 
horn  is  crowded  out  by  the  more  flat  and  meagre  Alto 
Clarinet ;  and  so  the  not  very  sonorous,  but  yet  often 
deeply  impressive  Contrafagotto  has  had  to  give  way  to  the 
bull-voiced  Bass  Tuba. 

"  Would  you  note  these  consequences  of  the  new  con- 
struction of  the  orchestra  in  a  simpler  body,  consider  the 
organization  of  Military  Music,  so  far  as  it  can  be  learned 
from  the  Prussian,  Austrian  and  Russian  army.  *  *  *  * 
The  cavalry  music  would  present  itself  far  more  simple  and 
more  poor  in  tones ;  but  its  very  peculiarity  would  consist 
in  those  natural  tones  and  natural  harmonies,  in  which, 
according  to  the  example  of  all  natural  singers  and  all 
masters,  the  simple,  native,  fresh,  downright  heroic  ever 
finds  its  truest  utterance ;  but  that  very  poverty  of  tones 
would  drive  the  composer  to  a  strong  marking  of  the 
rhythm,  to  the  most  peculiar  expression  of  will  and  courage, 
of  strong  impetus  and  firm  resistance,  so  far  as  any  excitable 
spirit  lives  in  him.  Let  any  one  examine  for  himself,  who 
feels  concerned  to  know,  and  sec  how  much  of  those  require- 
ments is  fulfilled  or  given  up,  since  the  troop  of  valve 
instruments  has  placed  itself  at  the  head  of  all  sorts  of 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  89 

martial  music  and  has  trained  the  harnessed  brass  band  to 
each  opera  aria  and  to  all  the  chromatic  sighs  of  sweetish 
sentimentality." 

Is  not  the  foregoing  a  faint  indication  of  a  re- 
action, which  must  sooner  or  later  take  place,  in 
favor  of  the  charming  simplicity  of  Haydn  and 
others  of  former  days  ?  The  chimerical  and  roman- 
tic ideas  of  young  Germany  must  soon  wind 
themselves  up  in  their  own  incomprehensibility ; 
and  but  for  their  bearing  upon  our  main  subject, 
would  call  for  no  comments. 

But  the  extravagances  of  the  instrumental  school 
have  seized  upon  vocal  music.  Modern  vocal 
compositions  are  much  in  the  same  chromatic 
strain  which  pertains  to  instruments  only.  This 
begins  to  show  itself  in  the  works  of  Spohr.  Take 
for  an  example,  a  cantata  in  B  flat,  (well  known 
to  many  singers  in  Boston,)  certain  portions  of 
which  run  into  chromatic  nonsense.  But  Spohr  is 
too  great  a  fiddler  to  write  for  voices;  it  seems 
almost  impossible  for  him  to  get  through  a  mea- 
sure without  throwing  in  a  few  flats  and  sharps, 
and  thus  some  of  his  melodies,  so  to  speak,  are  all 
hacked  into  semi-tones.  Take  another  instance, 
from  one  of  his  heaviest  sacred  works,  —  "Praise 
his  awful  name,"  from  the  "  Last  Judgment." 
What  is  there  in  the  praise  of  God  that  demands 
8* 


90  HINTS     CONCERNING 

chromatic  treatment?  Compare  this  with  one  of 
Handel's  direct,  hearty,  diatonic  choruses  of  praise.,, 
where  he  seems  to  summon  all  the  powers  of  the 
universe  to  join  in  it.  This  is  one  of  the  difficul- 
ties with  Mr.  Zeuner's  music,  to  which  we  have 
before  alluded. 

Take  an  instance  from  the  greatest  of  modern 
composers,  —  "The  fire  descends  from  heaven,'7 
(from  "  Elijah/')  Is  there  not  here  a  painful  strain- 
ing for  effect,  which  amounts  to  little  or  nothing  ? 
Does  it  make  any  impression  that  recurs  to  the 
mind  after  the  hearing  of  it  ?  Will  it  suffer  a  com- 
parison with  the  "Hailstone  Chorus?"  I  trow 
not.  Nevertheless,  as  we  are  told  by  able  analyti- 
cal critics,  Mendelssohn,  as  well  as  Handel,  owes 
his  greatness  to  the  study  of  the  old  ecclesiastical 
composers  —  (that  "  one  little  isolated  group  of 
composers,"  "your  Gibbons  and  Tallis,"  as  the}7 
are  contemptuously  called  by  a  musical  editor  in 
Boston,)  who  are  indeed,  the  very  head  and  fronts 
yea,  the  foundation  of  all  music. 

Jebb,  in  his  Lectures  on  the  Cathedral  Service,. 
says  : 

"  The  study  of  Tallis,  as  a  correct,  grave,  and  religious 
harmonist,  is  essential  towards  any  real  progress  in  the 
knowledge  of  sacred  music.  And  nothing  has  tended  more 
to  debase  the  art  amongst  us,  than  the  neglect  of  such 
studies,  and  the  substitution  of  the  showy,  but  thin  and 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  91 

imperfect  harmonies  of  modern  composers,  and  the  exagger- 
ated and  effeminate  melodies,  that  rather  express  the  morbid 
sentiment  of  religious  excitement,  than  the  deep-seated 
energy  of  a  calm  but  influential  devotion  of  the  understand- 
ing and  of  the  heart." 

Chorley  said,  when  speaking  to  Wagner's  friends 
of  the  symphonic  and  instrumental  turn  given  to 
some  recent  vocal  compositions,  —  "  In  six  years 
more,  if  this  system  be  accepted,  you  will  not  have 
an  artist  left,  capable  of  singing  an  air  by  Handel 
or  Mozart."  "  Well,  what  matter,"  was  the  quiet 
answer,  "  there  has  been  enough  of  singing." 

Voices  are  only  treated  as  secondary,  and  are 
often  smothered  by  excessive  instrumentation. 
Mendelssohn,  great  as  he  is,  will  not  maintain  the 
somewhat  extraordinary  rank  now  assigned  to  him 
as  a  vocal  composer.     Chromatic  discord  abounds. 

Music,  when  wedded  to  verse,  must  only  accom- 
pany poetry  as  an  humble  and  obsequious  sat- 
ellite, not  as  master.  It  would  be  well,  if  the 
sentence  so  justly  pronounced  upon  Timotheus  of 
old,  could  be  suspended  over  the  heads  of  all  mod- 
ern composers  of  vocal  music.  It  was  alleged 
against  this  celebrated  musician  of  antiquity,  that 
in  singing  a  poem  at  a  festival  in  Sparta,  he  did 
not  pay  sufficient  attention  to  decency  and  deco- 
rum;   consequently,  after  the  superfluous  strings 


92  HINTS     CONCERNING 

had  been  cut  from  his  lyre,  leaving  only  seven 
thereon,  (thus  confining  him  to  the  diatonic,)  he 
received  the  following  sentence : 

"  Whereas  Timotheus  the  Milesian,  coming  to  our  city, 
has  deformed  our  ancient  music,  and  by  the  novelty  of  his 
melody  has  given  to  our  music  an  effeminate  and  artificial 
dress,  instead  of  the  plain  and  orderly  one  in  which  it  has 
hitherto  appeared  •  rendering  melody  infamous  by  compos- 
ing in  the  chromatic;  and  introducing  a  multiplicity  of 
notes  has  corrupted  the  ears  of  our  youth ;  it  therefore 
seemeth  good  to  us,  the  King  and  Ephori,  to  banish  the 
said  Timotheus  from  our  dominions,  that  every  one  behold- 
ing the  wholesome  severity  of  this  city,  may  be  deterred 
from  bringing  in  amongst  us  any  unbecoming  customs." 

Now  in  the  modern  opera,  where  the  ravish- 
ment of  the  senses  is  the  only  object,  and  where 
words  of  a  trivial  character  are  used  only  as  a  pre- 
tence and  vehicle,  this  may  be  well  enough ;  but 
in  music  of  a  more  intellectual  character,  where 
the  words  are  of  graver  import,  it  becomes  an 
abomination ;  and,  when  carried  to  the  altar,  it  is 
a  defilement.  But  it  has  come  to  this.  Language, 
that  highest  medium  of  expression  which  addres- 
ses the  understanding,  is  abased  beneath  that 
which  appeals  only  to  the  senses.  This  is  founded 
upon  the  notorious  modern  German  transcenden- 
tal fallacy,  that  sounds  can  express  sentiments, 
thereby  making  music  usurp  the  province  of  poetry. 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  93 

Hence  we  have  "  songs  without  words ; "  and 
thus,  our  esteemed  but  erratic  friend  of  the  "  Jour- 
nal," in  reviewing  one  of  our  chapters,  says : — 
"  Words  require  translation,  but  melody  and  har- 
mony do  not."  The  absurdity  of  this  notion  is 
obvious,  since  no  two  persons  would  give  the 
same  interpretation  to  sounds.  Addison  says : — 
"  I  have  often  seen  our  audiences  extremely  mis- 
taken as  to  what  has  been  doing  on  the  stage,  and 
expecting  to  see  the  hero  knock  down  his  messen- 
ger, when  he  has  been  asking  him  a  question ;  or 
fancying  that  he  quarrels  with  his  friend,  when  he 
only  bids  him  good-morrow.  For  this  reason  the 
Italian  artists  cannot  agree  with  our  English  mu- 
sicians in  admiring  Purcell's  compositions,  and 
thinking  his  tunes  so  wonderfully  adapted  to  his 
words ;  because  both  nations  do  not  always  ex- 
press the  same  passions  by  the  same  sounds." 

Another  writer  says :  "  The  nature  of  musical 
expression,  in  certain  respects,  is  involved  in  so 
much  mystery,  that  it  is  a  great  chance  whether  it 
ever  be  completely  understood.  If  the  theory  of 
it  were  to  be  ascertained,  it  would  probably  throw 
much  light  on  the  human  constitution  in  general." 

If  sound  conveys  sentiments  or  ideas,  so  may 
dancing,  just  as  well.  What  a  field  the  poetry  of 
motion  would  be  for   some   of  our  transcendental 


94  HINTS     CONCERNING 

friends.  But  it  is  by  no  means  certain  that  this 
ancient  custom  will  not  be  revived. 

A  writer  in  one  of  our  religious  periodicals,  who 
seems  to  be  one  of  a  numerous  family  of  scholas- 
tic dabblers  in  church  music,  not  long  ago  said : — 
"  Dancing,  sculpture,  music  and  painting,  belong 
with  poetry  to  the  service  of  God,  and  it  is  sacri- 
lege to  use  either  of  them  in  unhallowed  modes." 
Perhaps  we  shall  next  see,  in  this  age  of  progress, 
some  transcendental  minister  dancing  out  his  ser- 
mon on  the  pulpit  cushions,  for  which  perform- 
ance the  music  in  some  churches  would  be  Well 
adapted. 

The  above  named  writer  begins  with  saying, 
that  he  proposes  to  look  at  the  subject  "  on  the  side 
of  art,"  —  the  best  definition  of  which  he  gives  as 
follows  :  "  Art  is  the  truth  embodying  itself  for  the 
mere  sake  of  embodiment."  (Very  lucid.)  He 
then  goes  on,  upon  the  "  high-art "  principle,  with 
some  rambling,  disconnected  remarks,  and  finally 
arrives  at  one  or  two  common-place  conclusions 
which  are  in  no  wise  deducible  from  his  proposi- 
tions. Now  this  subject  has  no  art-side,  exclu- 
sively, for  worship  is  not  an  art,  and  aesthetics  is 
a  bad  word  to  use  in  connection  therewith.  This 
idea  of  making  music  a  medium  of  worship  is  not 
less  absurd  than  that  of  dancing,  as  nothing  defi- 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  95 

nite  can  be  expressed  by  either,  —  language  being 
the  only  definite  medium  of  expression  and  wor- 
ship. This  "high-art"  notion  is  essentially  a 
heathen  one  ;  that  of  appeasing  and  charming  the 
gods  with  sweet  sounds.  That  ancient  and  ex- 
ploded idea  of  dancing,  as  practiced  in  David's 
time,  was  continued  by  the  Pagans,  and,  we  are 
told,  that  in  imitation  of  them,  some  of  the  early 
Christians  did  indulge  a  little ;  but  St.  Augustine 
told  them  that  it  was  "better  to  plough  on  the 
Lord's  day  than  to  dance."  Music  may  induce 
levity  or  gravity,  and  can  only  excite  certain  emo- 
tions, which  may  be  tender  or  energetic,  solemn  or 
gay.     At  the  altar,  we  want  to  bring;  the  mind  into 


& 


harmony  with  the  subject  and  the  occasion,  and  to 
render  language  more  impressive  —  not  to  over- 
ride and  destroy  it. 

Nobody  could  complain  at  what  is  falsely  called 
progress,  if  it  were  confined  to  music  of  a  miscel- 
laneous and  secular  character,  and  to  the  orchestra, 
where  the  caprice  and  varied  taste  of  the  crowd 
may  be  consulted ;  but  it  is  in  sacred  music  that 
the  mischief  is  done.  Hear  what  the  Boston  advo- 
cate of  young  Germany  says  : 

"  All  Art,  if  it  teaches  anything,  teaches  the  reconcilia- 
tion of  the  sacred  and  the  secular,  the  blending  and  perfect 
marriage  of  the  spiritual  and  the  material ;  and   one  may 


96  HINTS     CONCERNING 

experience  religious  emotions  during  an  opera  or  a  symphony 
sometimes,  as  well  as  in  a  temple ;  the  Spirit  cannot  be 
confined  to  forms  or  places ;  the  church  may  borrow  from 
the  opera,  the  opera  from  the  church  sometimes,  to  good 
advantage." 

On  the  subject  of  church  music  he  seems  to  be 
all  at  sea,  and  praises  styles  as  diverse  as  the  poles. 
He  would  have  any  thing  that  gives  "  spiritual 
excitement,  pleasure,  joy  and  strength  —  some- 
thing conceived  in  the  spirit  of  high  art."  Upon 
what  principle  a  person  holding  such  latitudina- 
rian  notions  can  complain  of  our  Yankee  psalm- 
wrights,  it  is  not  easy  to  understand,  unless  it  be 
that 

"  From  spotted  skins  the  leopard  does  refrain." 

He  seems  to  wonder  at  the  want  of  progress  in 
the  English  church  music,  and  complains  that  it 
is  "  antique,"  and  wanting  in  the  "  highest  quali- 
ties of  art."  He  ridicules  the  idea  of  an  exclusive 
ecclesiastical  style,  and  says  of  compositions  in 
that  style  :  "  Why  has  not  their  potency  been  felt 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  church  ?  why  have  they 
not  interested  outsiders,  as  the  Romish  masses 
have  done  ?  " 

The  absurdity  of  such  remarks  is  too  obvious 
for  comment.  That  music,  which  is  written  for  a 
specific  and  unchangeable  purpose,  and  adapted 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  97 

to  one  language,  should  not  be  suited  to  all  occa- 
sions and  to  different  nations,  is  clear  enough. 
This  loose  talk  about  "interesting  outsiders,"  is 
truly  a  progressive  idea.  "Hail  Columbia"  is 
interesting  to  "  outsiders "  ;  would  he  have  it 
introduced  into  the  church  ? 

The  transcendental  notion  of  "  allying  the  earthly 
with  the  heavenly,  the  human  with  the  divine,"  is 
founded  on  a  confidence  in  the  sufficiency  of  the 
affections,  the  passions  and  the  imagination,  to  lead 
men  aright.  This,  when  applied  to  the  music  of 
the  church,  is  only  setting  up  a  refined  sensualism 
instead  of  worship. 

Of  the  abuse  of  the  imagination,  one  writer 
says :  "  There  are  not  wanting  those,  who,  assum- 
ing its  infallibility,  proceed  to  build  upon  its  un- 
proved and,  more  than  likely,  untrue  suggestions, 
those  philosophic  theories  and  systems,  so  well 
designated  as  the  baseless  fabrics  of  a  vision." 

Any  one  who  chooses  to  give  himself  up  to  the 
mental  intoxication  w~hich  is  produced  by  an  over- 
excited imagination  and  unbridled  play  of  the 
fancy,  can  soar  aloft  into  what  is  now-a-days  called 
spirituality.  Like  the  witch  in  "  Macbeth,"  he 
may  say,  "  I  am  for  the  air  ; "  nevertheless,  giving 
over  such  airy  visions,  it  may  be  wiser  to  clip  the 
9 


98  CHURCH     MUSIC. 

wings  of  the  imagination  a  little,  and  rather  plume 
the  tail  of  the  judgment. 

What  German  speculation  has  done  for  religion 
and  worship,  it  has  also  done  for  music.  Nature 
is  worshipped  by  a  Sunday  stroll  in  the  fields ;  or, 
in  a  social  concert,  graced  with  Lager  beer  and 
tobacco-pipes,  —  Sunday  being  a  sort  of  carnival 
day.  Ecclesiastical  music  is  but  little  known 
amongst  the  people.  Ask  why  the  Germans  do 
not  give  some  attention  to  sacred  music,  and  very 
likely  the  answer  will  be,  that  "  the  Germans  don't 
like  the  words." 

Handel  never  was  much  known  in  Germany,  as 
we  learn  from  German  writers  themselves,  who 
also  say,  that  "  England  only  cherished  an  enthu- 
siasm for  him  on  account  of  his  title  as  national 
composer,  more  than  upon  the  merit  of  his  works  !  " 
Church  music  in  Germany  is  confined  to  a  few 
old  schools  and  ecclesiastical  establishments,  and 
consists  of  chorals,  and  a  few  ancient  motets  which 
can  be  of  little  use  to  an  Englishman.  To  make 
a  church  musician  or  a  minister  of  Christ,  send  a 
man  anywhere  but  to  Germany  —  send  him  rather 
to  any  region  spoken  of  by  Dante. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

What  we  Americans  want,  is  a  song  adapted 
to  our  own  tongue,  and  where  shall  we  look  for  it 
if  not  to  the  land  of  our  forefathers.  Have  we  not 
the  same  language,  the  same  religion,  the  same 
liturgy,  the  same  literature,  the  same  laws,  habits, 
customs,  temperaments  ;  in  short,  are  we  not  Eng- 
lishmen ?  Other  languages  have  different  require- 
ments, and  vain  indeed  are  nearly  all  your  mongrel 
adaptations,  whether  they  be  from  Ludwig  Hellwig 
or  any  other  wig. 

But  the  Church  of  England  has  been  anything 
but  exemplary,  at  some  times,  in  her  music.  At 
the  Restoration,  she  found  herself  naked  in  this 
particular,  in  consequence  of  the  ravages  of  the 
Puritans,  who  had  burnt,  torn,  mutilated,  demol- 
ished and  destroyed  every  sacred  thing  within  their 
grasp.  Out  of  the  whole  edition  of  one  valuable 
work,  only  one  perfect  copy  was  preserved,  together 
writh  two  or  three  single  parts  which  were  found 
in  the  library  at  Hereford  Cathedral.     Other  works 


100  HINTS     CONCERNING 

shared  the  same  fate,  and  no  doubt  many  godly 
compositions  were  entirely  lost ;  nevertheless,  the 
greater  portion  were  eventually  found  and  restored. 
For  a  time,  however,  a  great  scarcity  was  endured, 
and  resort  was  taken,  in  some  cases,  to  foreign 
music,  which  had  then  become  very  corrupt.     To 
this  cause  may  also  be  added  the  demoralized  con- 
dition of  society,  and  the  dissipated  reign  of  that 
dissolute  rowdy,  Charles  the   Second.     He  intro- 
duced into  England  the  French  violin  bands,  and 
had  his  four  and  twenty  fiddlers  to  play  during  his 
dinner  hour.     Finally,  he   introduced   them  into 
the  Chapel  Royal,  from  which  great  mischief  en- 
sued.    So  great  was  the  popularity  of  these  novel 
bands  with  the  nobility,  that  Purcell  and  others  of 
the  young  Chapel  musicians,  for  the  sake  of  popu- 
larity, introduced  fiddling  symphonies  into  some 
of  their  anthems,  insomuch  that  they  are  unsuited 
to  ordinary  occasions  of  worship.     Whilst  the  pure 
style  was  adhered  to  in  some  parts  of  the  realm ; 
in  others,  matters  went  from  bad  to  worse.     At 
Exeter,  the  Service  sunk  lower  than  at  any  other 
cathedral,  and  the  effects  of  it  have  been  felt  in  our 
own  country,  through  Dr.  Jackson  and  others  from 
that  parish.     In  the  "  Handel  and  Haydn  "  collec- 
tion of  music,  to  which  he  contributed,  although 
there  be  many  good  old  compositions,  yet  they 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  101 

are,  for  the  most  part,  in  the  wrong  key  and  badly 
arranged ;  in  other  words,  they  are  spurious  copies. 

The  careless  and  indecent  celebration  of  divine 
worship  in  some  of  the  English  churches  has 
otherwise  damaged  the  cause  of  public  worship  in 
our  own  country.  Some  of  our  American  clergy- 
men have  been  abroad,  and  have  returned  filled 
with  prejudice  against  the  Service,  —  when,  in 
truth,  the  difficulty  was  only  in  its  bad  performance. 

A  New  York  clergyman  was  thus  induced  to 
write  certain  letters,  which  were  not  much  compli- 
mented abroad,  and  which  he  probably  would  not 
have  written  if  he  had  better  understood  his  sub- 
ject, musically,  as  well  as  otherwise.  So  flagrant 
were  the  many  abuses  in  the  English  Church,  and 
so  glaring  to  all,  that  a  reform  was  demanded,  not 
only  there,  but  in  the  dissenting  chapels  also,  and 
the  same  has  been  pressed  on  with  great  vigor  and 
determination  for  twelve  or  fifteen  years.  For  the 
improvement  of  music,  numerous  societies  have 
been  formed ;  books,  pamphlets  and  periodicals, 
penned  by  the  ablest  scholars  and  antiquaries,  have 
been  widely  circulated ;  the  old  manuscripts  and 
part-books  have  been  sought  out  from  their  dusty 
hiding-places,  and  have  been  as  promptly  printed 
and  distributed  ;  till  at  length,  the  Service  is  almost, 
if  not  quite,  restored  to  its  ancient  purity,  beauty, 
9* 


102  HINTS     CONCERNING 

simplicity  and  grandeur.  The  funds,  which  had 
before  been  absorbed  by  lazy  Deans,  are  now  con- 
verted to  their  appointed  uses.  From  the  numer- 
ous publications  touching  this  subject,  many  ex- 
tracts could  be  made  like  the  following : 

"  If  the  truth  must  be  told,  Sir,  there  can  be  but  two 
sources  of  church  music,  —  the  ancient  church,  and  the 
modern  theatre.  That  music  which  is  essentially  Romish, 
and  which  draws  such  eighteen-penny  audiences  on  a  Sun- 
day morning  at  their  chapels,  is  essentially  theatrical, — 
showy  solos,  flourishing  symphonies,  and  rattling  choruses 
make  up  the  bulk  of  it.  The  congregation  is  a  mere  au- 
dience, and  cannot  join  in  the  performance.  The  solemn 
old  church  music,  the  Gregorian  chants,  on  the  contrary, 
are  coeval  with  and  originally  adapted  to  our  own  pure  ser- 
vice book,  and  the  people  can  join  in  them  with  devotion. 
Alas !  what  an  evil  hour  it  was  in  which  the  Church  of 
England  gave  up  this  noble  music  for  the  compositions  of 
Jones  and  Jackson  1 " 

The  Rev.  J.  W.  Twist,  in  a  lecture,  said : 

"  If  church  music  is  ever  again  to  be  composed  in  a  stvle 
at  all  comparable  to  the  grandeur  and  majesty  of  that  of 
the  age  of  Farrant  and  Gibbons,  it  can  only  be  when  the 
taste  and  reverent  church  feelings  of  the  members  of  the 
church  are  such  as  to  demand  that  style  of  composition. 
When  men  feel  like  true  churchmen,  and  realize  in  some 
degree  the  majesty  of  Him  to  whom  the  praises  of  the 
church  are  offered,  they  will  no  longer  be  contented  with 
the  light  operatic  style  of  music,  which,  until  the  late  par- 
tial revival,  has  superseded  the  solemn  and  devotional  strains 
in  which  our  forefathers  praised  God." 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  103 

Another  writer  says : 

"  The  style  of  music  in  a  place  of  worship,  indicates  to  a 
great  extent,  the  tone  of  religious  feeling.  If  churchmen 
would  only  understand,  that  the  most  worthy  portion  of  our 
service  is  the  office  of  praise  —  because,  unlike  preaching 
and  prayer,  it  will  never  end  —  we  should  not  find  them 
neglect  singing  altogether,  or  neglect  to  sing  what  the 
church  enjoins,  and  only  sing  what  she  merely  permits. 

Metrical  psalm-tunes,  with  their  absurd  repetitions  and 
divisions  of  words  and  lines,  are  abominations,  excepting  the 
ancient  tunes,  or  those  made  in  imitation  of  them.  They 
consist  generally  of  pieces  of  play-house  airs,"  <fcc. 

Dr.  Burney  once  more  says : 

"  The  fugues  and  canons  of  the  sixteenth  century,  like 
the  Gothic  buildings  in  which  they  were  sung,  have  a  grav- 
ity and  grandeur  peculiarly  suited  to  the  purposes  of  their 
construction ;  and  when  either  of  them  shall,  by  time  or 
accident,  be  destroyed,  it  is  very  unlikely  that  they  should 
ever  be  replaced  by  others  in  a  style  equally  reverential  and 
stupendous.  They  should  therefore  be  preserved  as  venera- 
ble relics  of  the  musical  labors  and  erudition  of  our  fore- 
fathers, before  the  lighter  strains  of  secular  music  had 
tinctured  melody  with  its  capricious  and  motly  flights." 

There  are  some  persons,  who,  from  sinister  mo- 
tives, set  up  the  shallow  pretence  that  we  require 
cathedrals  for  the  singing  of  good  music,  and  that 
we  in  America  need  a  cheaper  music ;  but  surely, 
good  music,  even  in  a  bad  building,  is  better  than 
poor  music,  and  the  breath  expended  in  singing  it 


104  HINTS     CONCERNING 

costs  no  more;  neither  would  it  require  more 
money  than  is  now  expended  by  some  churches  in 
their  efforts  to  vie  with  the  stage  and  the  concert- 
room. 

As  to  those  young  gentlemen  who  make  fre- 
quent use  of  the  term  "  old  fogy,"  upon  all  occa- 
sions, nothing  can  be  said,  because  if  they  are 
not  exactly  non  compos,  they  are  out  of  the  reach 
of  reason.  What  is  the  treasured  wisdom  of  ages 
to  them  ?  They  believe  only  in  themselves  and 
in  progress,  knowing  not,  that  ivith  the  ancient  is 
wisdom.  Let  them  remember  that  "  things  done 
without  example  are,  in  their  issue,  to  be  feared." 

The  truth  is,  that  in  no  age  or  country  since  the 
dawn  of  Christianity,  has  the  music  of  the  church 
sunk  into  such  a  slough  of  secularity,  vulgarity, 
and  imbecility,  as  in  our  own  land.  We  are  worse 
off  now,  than  when  we  came  from  the  hands  of 
Billings  and  Holden,  for,  their  music,  crude  as  it 
was,  had  a  native  manliness  and  strength  about  it 
—  they  were  in  earnest. 

Our  people  have  been  so  systematically  and 
thoroughly  plied  and  enervated  with  the  feeble 
productions  of  "  G.  J.  W."  and  "  L.  M."  —  «  R. 
and  J."_  «H.  and  B."  —  «  W."  —  "  K."  —  "  B. 
F.  B.,"  &c,  —  that  our  young  singers  are  scarcely 
able  to  grapple  with  a  dignified  and  strong  speci- 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  105 


men  by  one  of  the  old  masters.  To  further  this 
system  of  "humbuggery"  musical  periodicals  are 
published,  so  the  people  may  pay  for  puffing  their 
own  poison.  These  are  filled  with  all  sorts  of 
communications  from  persons  who  have  psalm- 
tunes  to  sell,  and  are  intended  just  to  keep  up  a 
little  excitement  through  the  country,  and  to  set  an 
appetite  for  the  next  new  book.  For  instance, 
Mr.  "  W.  B.  B."  makes  great  ado  about  "  improv- 
ing our  church  choirs." 

Now  the  best  method  to  accomplish  a  thing  so 
desirable  is,  first  of  all,  to  get  some  music ;  but 
then  that  would  spoil  their  trade.  One  hardly 
knows  whether  to  pity  or  censure  these  gentlemen. 
If  they  are  serious,  they  are  to  be  pitied ;  but  if 
they  are  actuated  by  avarice  they  deserve  censure. 
What  less  can  be  said  of  them  than  Luther  said,  in 
one  of  his  sermons  about  the  Pope,  who  allowed 
Mass  to  be  said  for  money.  "  The  Pope,  (said 
Luther,)  must  be  either  an  ass-head  or  a  devil ; 
an  ass-head  if  he  knows  not  better,  or  a  devil,  if, 
knowing,  he  still  permits  it." 

Finding,  however,  that  the  people  have  discov- 
ered the  cheat,  the  next  "  artful  dodge  "  is  to  start 
the  magnificent  and  stupendous  humbug  of  "  con- 
gregational singing  ;  "  and  if  a  small  part,  only,  of 
the  churches  can  be  taken  by  this  new  bait,  then 


106  HINTS     CONCERNING 

what  a  field  will  there  be  for  publishing  books  for 
the  whole  congregation !  What  fortunes  loom  up 
in  the  distance!  This  has  the  genuine  "  Bamum " 
ring.  Only  restore  the  music  of-  the  church,  and 
there  can  be  no  objection  to  decent  and  proper 
choir-singing. 

Harken  now  to  the  words  of  a  renowned  scholar 
and  musician.     Dr.  Crotch  says  : 

"  As  long  as  the  pure  sublime  style,  the  style  peculiarly 
suited  to  the  church  service,  was  cherished,  which  was  only 
to  about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  we  consider 
the  ecclesiastical  style  to  be  in  a  state  worthy  of  study  and 
imitation  ;  in  a  state  of  perfection  ;  but  it  has  been  gradual- 
ly and  imperceptibly  losing  its  character  ever  since.  Im- 
provements have,  indeed,  been  made  in  the  contexture  of 
the  score,  in  the  flow  of  melody,  in  the  accentuation  and 
expression  of  words,  in  the  beauty  of  the  solo,  and  the 
delicacy  of  the  accompaniment,  —  but  these  are  not  indica- 
tions of  the  sublime ;  church  music  therefore  is  on  the 
decline.  The  remedy  is  obvious.  Let  the  young  composer 
study  the  productions  of  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  cen- 
turies, in  order  to  acquire  the  tkue  chukch  style,  which 
should  always  be  sublime  and  scientific,  and  contain  no 
modern  harmonies  or  melodies.  There  will  still  be  room 
for  the  exercise  of  genius  without  servile  plagiarism.  But 
I  must  caution  him  that  he  will  probably  be  disappointed  at 
first  hearing  them.  He  will  meet  with  critics  and  writers 
who  assert  that  '  whatever  does  not  produce  effect  can  not  be 
worthy  of  our  admiration.'  But  the  sublime  in  every  art, 
though  less  attractive  at  first,  is  most  deserving  of  regard. 
For  this  quality  does  not  strike  and  surprise,  dazzle  and 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  107 

amuse,  but  it  elevates  and  expands  the  mind,  filling  it  with 
awe  and  wonder,  not  always  suddenly,  but  in  proportion  to 
the  study  bestowed  upon  it.  The  more  it  is  known,  the 
more  it  will  be  understood,  approved,  admired,  venerated, 
I  might  almost  say,  adored." 

Dr.  Bisse  says  of  church  music  : 

"  Behold  the  compositions  of  ancient  masters !  "What 
a  stateliness,  what  a  gravity,  what  a  studied  majesty  walks 
through  their  airs !  yea  their  harmony  is  venerable,  inso- 
much that,  being  free  from  the  improper  mixture  of 
levity,  those  principles  of  decay  which  have  buried  many 
modern  works  in  oblivion,  these  remain  and  return  in  the 
course  of  our  worship  like  so  many  standing  services,  thus 
resembling  the  standing  service  of  our  liturgy." 

Dr.  Crotch,  in  his  Lectures  on  Music,  says : 

"  The  psalms  used  and  composed  by  the  Reformers,  and 
those  by  their  immediate  successors  in  this  kingdom,  to- 
gether with  those  made  in  imitation  of  these  pure  sacred 
strains,  are  alone  worthy  of  study.  And  these  should  be 
played  simply,  and  with  such  harmonies  as  are  of  a  suitable 
style ;  while  all  the  Magdalen  and  Foundling  hymns,  with 
psalms  made  out  of  songs,  glees  and  quartettes,  in  drawling, 
whining,  minute-like  strains,  with  two  or  three  notes  to  each 
syllable,  full  of  modern  or  chromatic  discords,  with  sym- 
phonies, introductions,  shakes,  flourishes,  cadences,  appogia- 
turas,  and  other  unseemly  displays  of  the  organist's  finger 
or  fancy,  should  be  denounced  and  utterly  abolished.  And 
must  we  then  have  no  new  church  music  ?  Yes  ;  but  no  new 
style :  nothing  which  recommends  itself  for  its  novelty,  or 


108  CHURCH     MUSIC. 

reminds  us  of  what  we  hear  at  the  parade,  the  concert,  and 
the  theatre.  Much  new  music  may  be  produced  in  the 
sacred  style  :  though  to  equal  what  has  already  been  pro- 
duced, will  not  be  found  so  easy  as  may  perhaps  be 
imagined. 


CHAPTER    X. 

The  first  and  most  important  thing  of  all,  if  we 
would  have  music,  is  a  medium  for  it,  —  that  is,  a 
Liturgy,  —  without  which  there  can  be  properly 
nothing  but  psalm-tunes  ;  because  these  alone  have 
a  place  in  the  exercises.*  Those  Congregational 
churches,  therefore,  that  exclude  all  other  music, 
are  quite  right ;  because  all  else  has  to  be  lugged 
in  for  mere  show  and  amusement,  either  at  the 
beginning  or  close  of  the  service,  both  which  are 
indecent,  and  contrary  to  Scripture  as  well  as  to 
all  primitive  Christian  practice.  What  an  absurd- 
ity, for  a  choir  to  burst  out  upon  a  congregation 
of  waiting  worshippers  with  a  song,  —  the  sub- 
ject being  unknown,  and  the  words  not  under- 
stood by  the  listeners.]    Meanwhile,  the  clergyman 

*  The  word  worship,  is  nearly  obsolete. 

t  St.  Paul  says  :  '*  If  I  know  not  the  meaning  of  the  voice,  I 
shall  be  unto  him  that  speaketh  a  barbarian. 

"  Else,  when  thou  shalt  bless  with  the  spirit,  how  shall  he  that 
occupieth  the  room  of  the  unlearned  say  Amen  at  thy  giving  of 
thanks,  seeing  he  under  standest  not  what  thou  say  est  ?     For  thou 
verily  givest  thanks  well,  but  the  other  is  not  edified." 
10 


110  HINTS     CONCERNING 

may  be  looking  over  his  sermon,  or  sometimes 
paring  his  nails,  as  I  have  seen.  Then,  after  the 
sermon,  that  great  all  in  all  in  a  Puritan  church, 
the  people  "  about  face,"  and  stand  gaping,  and 
gazing  into  an  organ-loft,  while  the  concert  goes 
on.  Thus  the  service  is  closed,  perhaps  after  a 
solemn  discourse,  by  shouting  some  compound  of 
vulgarity  and  noise  called  an  "anthem,"  or  by 
singing  a  delicious  operatic  extract.  This  is  now- 
a-days  called  worshipping.  What  are  the  choir  in 
such  cases  but  mere  puppets  or  mockers  ?  for  they 
pretend  to  worship  God,  and  call  on  his  name. 

"  And  still  more  scandalous,  in  such  a  place, 
We  see  infatuate  Christians  list'ning  round, 
Instead  of  supplicatiog  Grod  for  grace, 
To  Tenor,  Base,  and  subtil  ties  of  sound. 

And  while  such  trivial  talents  are  displayed 

In  howls  and  squeaks,  which  wound  the  pious  ear, 

No  sacred  word  is  with  the  sound  convey 'd, 
To  purify  the  soul,  or  heart  to  cheer." 

St.  Paul  says  :  "  Whatsoever  ye  do,  do  it  heart- 
ily, as  unto  the  Lord  and  not  unto  men." 

St.  Augustine  says :  "  When  it  befalls  me  to  be 
more  moved  with  the  voice  than  with  the  words 
sung,  I  confess  to  have  sinned,  and  then  had  rather 
not  hear  music." 

The  Prayer-book  prohibits  even  the  singing  of 
the  introductory  sentences,  and  prescribes,  "  first, 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  Ill 

exhortation,  then  confession,  then  forgiveness  of 
sins,  then  prayers  for  enabling  grace  to  praise  God 
aright ;  then,  and  not  till  then,  praise." 

Eusebius,  in  his  Exposition  of  the  Ninety- 
second  Psalm,  says,  "  When  they  are  met,  they 
act  as  the  psalm  prescribes;  first,  they  confess 
their  sins  to  the  Lord ;  secondly,  they  sing  to  his 
name,"  &c. 

The  Puritans  almost  annihilated  the  idea  of 
worship,  and  subverted  the  whole  order  of  things 
ecclesiastical,  exhibiting,  in  some  cases,  a  perti- 
nacity and  perversity  most  ludicrous.  Their  great 
aim  seems  to  have  been  to  do  nothing  that  was 
not  directly  contrary  to  the  church.  They  would 
not  kneel  but  stand,  at  prayers  ;  they  would  neither 
chant  nor  sing,  but  only  howl  in  the  most  doleful 
manner;  the  choir  and  altar  must  be  removed 
from  the  end  of  the  church,  and  a  pulpit  substi- 
tuted at  the  side  of  the  building,  which,  also,  must 
be  as  much  unlike  a  church  as  possible. 

A  British  writer,  on  the  subject  of  sacred  archi- 
tecture, says : 

"  Let  the  pillars  resemble  some  stately  forest,  or  lofty 
avenue  of  trees ;  let  their  capitals  be  adorned  with  the  leaves 
of  the  vine,  or  the  oak ;  let  the  glories  of  the  garden  be 
rivalled,  so  that  it  might  be  said, 

1  Nor  herb  or  floweret  that  glistened  there, 
But  was  carved  in  the  cloister  arches  as  fair  ; ' 


112  HINTS     CONCERNING 

let  the  palaces  of  nature  be  outvied,  and  the  basaltic  pillars 
of  her  caverns  be  equalled  in  grandeur ;  let  the  lofty  vault- 
ed arch  suggest  itself  as  the  jet  of  a  mighty  fountain ;  let 
the  structure  be  what  F.  Von  Schlegel  would  liken  to  ■  some 
magnificent  natural  crystallization,  let  it  have,'  as  he  also 
says,  '  that  deeply  expressive,  yet  tranquil  mystery,  the  joy- 
ous loveliness  and  animation,  which  fill  every  beholder  with 
reverence  and  admiration ; '  let  it  be,  in  short,  according 
to  Coleridge,  '  a  petrifaction  of  our  religion  ; '  —  what  were 
this  perfection,  supposing  it  attainable  in  these  days  —  what 
were  it  but  a  lifeless  abstraction,  without  the  due  perform- 
ance of  that  worship  for  which  it  offers  such  glorious  facili- 
ties and  incitements.  Let  us  remember  that  if  the  glorious 
fabric  for  God's  service  vie  with  the  majestic  forest,  it 
should  resound  with  the  '  forest's  choral  minstrelsy  ; '  if  it 
be  an  embodiment  of  the  fountain  of  living  waters,  it  should 
have  the  fountain's  gushing  melody ;  if  it  resemble  the 
Titanic  caves  of  Staffa,  it  should  re-echo  '  the  voice  of  a 
great  multitude,  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as  the 
voice  of  mighty  thunderings,  saying  Alleluia,  for  the  Lord 
God  Omnipotent  reigneth." 

A  musical  writer,  in  commenting  on  the  above, 

says : 

"  We  cordially  respond  to  the  observations  of  our  able 
ally;  and  while  he  shall  go  on  his  way  round  Zion,  and 
'  mark  well  her  bulwarks,  set  up  her  houses,'  may  we  pur- 
sue our  path.  Be  it  his  to  restore  the  old  waste  places  to 
the  beauty  of  holiness,  and  build  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  ; 
and  be  it  our  privilege  to  say,  that  we  '  went  with  the  mul- 
titude, and  brought  them  forth  into  the  House  of  God ;  in 
the  voice  of  praise  and  thanksgiving,  among  such  as  keep 
holy-day.' " 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  113 

Another  evidence  of  false  zeal  on  the  part  of  our 
forefathers,  is  their  subversion  or  non-observance 
of  the  greater  festivals  and  fasts  of  the  church,  and 
the  substitution  of  such  as  have  no  general  appli- 
cation or  significance,  and  were  only  suited  to 
their  own  times  and  circumstances.  Has  not  the 
annual  "  Fast  Day  "  degenerated  into  one  of  great 
dissipation  ?  Who  has  not  heard  the  question, — 
"  What  are  you  going  to  do  on  Fast  Day  ? " 
Many  churches  do  not  observe  the  day  at  all ; 
while  others  turn  the  cold  shoulder,  and  have 
only  one  service,  perhaps  in  union  with  one  or 
two  of  the  neighboring  churches ;  in  truth,  the  day 
is  almost  universally  considered  a  public  nuisance. 
There  is,  nevertheless,  one  advantage  attached  to 
it,  which  is,  that  the  clergy,  as  by  common  con- 
sent, are  allowed  to  relieve  themselves  of  all  their 
"  isms?  and  to  blow  off  all  the  accumulated  politi- 
cal and  secular  matter  of  the  year,  —  thus  it  be- 
comes a  sort  of  ecclesiastical  safety-valve,  not  to 
say  a  spiritual  farce ;  for,  sometimes  it  "  takes  "  so 
well  that  a  repetition  is  called  for,  and  it  is  forth- 
with advertised  in  the  newspapers  to  be  repeated, 
"  by  general  request,"  on  the  next  Sunday. 

The  Puritans  were  the  fanatics  of  the  Reforma- 
tion, and  their  zeal  run  into  a  monomania  ;  never- 
theless, they  were   sacred  vessels,  chosen   of  the 
10* 


114  HINTS     CONCERNING 

Lord,  into  which  to  pour  all  the  turbulent  spirits 
of  the  times,  not  as  into  the  swine  of  old,  but  for  a 
different  purpose.  Who  but  a  zealot  would  have 
thought  of  setting  out  at  an  inclement  season  of 
the  year,  for  an  unknown  wilderness,  there  to  con- 
tend with  savages  and  wild  beasts,  and  to  perish 
by  frost,  famine,  pestilence,  or  the  tomahawk  ? 
Surely,  these  mighty  and  valiant  men  did  spring 
up  as  by  the  divine  command,  to  "  make  straight 
in  the  desert  a  highway  "  for  the  establishment  of 
a  free  church,  as  well  as  of  a  free  government.  As 
our  government  is  the  result  of  no  pre-conceived 
theory,  but  is  the  gradual  growth  of  necessity,  and 
consequently  the  more  perfect ;  so  also  will  be  the 
church  when  it  shall  be  established,  and  the  Re- 
formation consummated.  A  work  of  such  magni- 
tude as  the  Reformation  could  not  be  perfected 
suddenly  except  by  a  miracle  ;  centuries  were  re- 
quired, under  God,  else  the  whole  fabric  might 
have  been  demolished.  As  it  was,  there  was 
plenty  of  battling,  and  no  doubt  the  Puritans  did 
well  in  finding  an  outlet  across  the  seas. 

The  Calvinists  seem  to  have  been  the  wildest 
and  most  radical  of  all  the  Reformers.  It  is  re- 
corded of  them,  that,  "  on  the  21st  of  August,  1566. 
they  entered  the  great  church  at  Antwerp,  (having 
axes  concealed  under  their  garments,)  and  after 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  115 

vespers,  created  such  a  tumult  as  drove  the  con- 
gregation away.  At  night,  one  of  them,  in  order 
to  give  formality  to  their  doings,  began  to  sing  a 
Geneva  psalm;  after  which,  the  spirit  moving 
them  altogether,  they  fell  upon  and  destroyed  the 
images  of  the  apostles,  chopping  off  their  heads 
with  axes.  They  then  destroyed  the  pictures,  de- 
molished the  organ ;  and,  finally,  greased  their 
shoes  with  the  holy  oil,  and  got  drunk  with  the 
consecrated  wine." 

Luther,  on  the  contrary,  was  a  patron  of  learn- 
ing and  the  arts.  He  sought  not  to  destroy  public 
worship,  but  struck  only  at  the  abases  of  Popery. 
He  retained  the  Latin  Service  till  he  could  trans- 
late it  into  the  German,  and  says  in  one  of  his 
sermons,  "  I  condemn  no  ceremonies  but  those 
which  are  contrary  to  the  Gospel." 

The  descendants  of  the  Puritans  have  outdone 
their  fathers,  for  they  did  make  a  little  show  of 
ceremony  in  their  worship,  and  began  the  service 
with  a  general  confession  of  sins.  They  have 
outdone  the  Papists,  too,  insomuch  that  in  some 
of  our  churches  the  Lord's  prayer,  instead  of  being 
solemnly  chanted  or  said  in  a  monotone,  as  of  old, 
is  set  to  ornate  part-music  ;  and  yet  there  is  a  great 
cry  of  "  Popery  "  when  the  prayers  are  only  said 
to    the   plain   chant.     Indeedr  our   meeting-house 


116  HINTS     CONCERNING 

service  is  hardly  more  solemn  than  the  doings  of 
a  political  body ;  and  surely,  it  is  far  beneath  our 
courts  of  justice,  for  they  are  conducted  with  de- 
cency, and  the  court  is  ushered  in  with  becoming 
dignity.  In  a  Puritan  temple,  the  parson  goes 
lumbering  up  the  aisle,  with  hat,  cane,  and  um- 
brella in  hand. 

On  the  subject  of  carelessly  entering  the  church, 
with  no  organ  playing,  &c,  Jebb  remarks : 

"  It  is  a  general  principle,  entering  largely  into  the  con- 
cerns of  life,  that  the  solemn  or  the  careless  opening  of  any 
great  undertaking  has  considerable  influence,  even  in  the 
estimantion  of  the  wisest,  with  respect  to  its  future  progress. 
So  it  is  with  respect  to  divine  worship.  It  is  therefore  most 
fitting  that  it  should  be  ushered  in  with  all  the  composure 
and  dignity,  so  grateful  to  any  sober  mind,  as  visibly  an- 
nouncing the  order  and  subordination  proper  to  the  service 
of  the  sanctuary,  and  that  deliberate  reverence  with  which 
the  Almighty  should  be  at  all  times  approached.  The  sav- 
ing of  three  or  four  minutes  by  a  non-observance  of  the 
procession  and  organ  playing,  is  really  a  plea  that  ought  not 
to  be  listened  to." 

The  late  Dr.  Alexander  Young,  while  discours- 
ing upon  the  want  of  reverence  for  the  house  of 
God,  intimated  that  it  was  "  degraded  to  the  level 
of  a  tavern-hall,"  and  no  doubt  the  rites  of  the 
Pagans,  which  were  imitated  to  some  extent  by 
the  primitive  Christians,  were  far  more  decent  and 
majestic  than  those  of  the  Puritans. 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  117 

Clemens  Alexandrinus  says  of  the  early  church  : 
"  This  is  the  mountain  of  the  Lord.  It  is  inhab- 
ited by  the  daughters  of  God,  the  fair  lambs,  who 
celebrate  together  the  venerable  Orgies^  collecting 
the  chosen  choir.  The  singers  are  holy  men,  their 
song  is  the  hymn  of  the  Almighty  King :  virgins 
chant,  angels  glorify,  prophets  discourse,  while 
music  sweetly  sounding  is  heard." 

Dr.  Comber,  on  chanting  the  praises  of  Him 
who  is  "  a  great  King  above  all  gods,"  says  : 

"  0  ye  Christians,  when  you  go  about  to  praise  the  true 
God  ;  behold  the  smoking  altars,  and  bleeding  sacrifices,  the 
triumphant  processions  and  solemn  addresses  which  are  paid 
so  freely  by  the  slaves  of  Satan  to  heathen  idols,  and  be 
ashamed  of  your  rude  and  cheap  worshipping  of  Him  that  is 
far  above  all  gods.  Consider  the  pleasing  harmony  of 
sweet  voices  which  wait  upon  those  false  gods,  that  tremble 
at  the  name  of  your  Lord,  and  blush  to  offer  up  either  flat 
or  feigned  gratulations." 

The  Puritans  were  hugely  punctilious  in  every- 
thing save  matters  ecclesiastic,  and  this  contradic- 
tion in  their  character  rather  confirms  the  idea  that 
they  were  not  quite  sane  on  this  one  point. 

"  Our  ears  have  heard  our  fathers  tell, 
And  rev'rently  record, 
The  wondrous  works  that  Thou  has  done 
In  ancient  time  0  Lord. 


118  HINTS     CONCERNING 

How  Thou  didst  drive  the  heathen  out, 

With  a  most  pow'rful  hand  : 
Planting  our  fathers  in  their  place, 

And  gav'st  to  them  their  land." 

And  while  we  may  exalt  the  mighty  deeds  of 
our  forefathers,  and  admire  and  venerate  their  lofty 
virtues  and  manly  piety,  is  it  wise  to  imitate  their 
faults,  or  to  cling  too  tenaciously  to  their  errors  ? 
This  scrupulous  regard  for  the  defects  of  the  Pil- 
grims, however  much  we  may  admire  their  chron- 
icles, is  not  worthy  of  God's  service,  in  which 
edification  and  perfection  should  be  aimed  at.  If 
the  worship  of  God  be  the  highest  and  most 
rational  delight  and  privilege  of  man,  surely  a 
work  of  such  import  demands  some  ceremony, 
order,  dignity  and  comeliness. 

Some  persons  raise  the  thoughtless  objection, 
that  no  formula  is  prescribed  in  the  Gospel. 
Neither  are  a  thousand  other  self-evident  truths 
enjoined,  the  which ,  if  they  should  be  written  every 
one,  I  suppose  that  even  the  world  itself  could  not 
contain  the  books.  The  apostles  had  forms  the 
most  majestic  ;  they  indorsed,  and  conformed  to 
the  Jewish  rites,  and  the  Pagan,  too,  so  far  as  they 
were  proper.  They  ministered  in  the  synagogues 
as  occasions  offered,  observed  circumcision,  and 
made   themselves   "all   things   to   all   men."     St. 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  119 

Paul  says:  "I  exhort  therefore,  that,  first  of  all, 
supplications,  prayers,  intercessions,  and  giving  of 
thanks  be  made  for  all  men,  for  kings,  and  for 
all  that  are  in  authority."  But  why  should  it  be 
thought  necessary  to  have  forms  enjoined,  for  the 
public  worship  of  that  Being,  who,  out  of  chaos, 
has  established  the  earth  in  order  the  fairest  and 
most  wonderful,  and  has  shrouded  the  universe  in 
beauty  unspeakable  ?  How  otherwise  should  He 
be  worshipped  except  with  order,  and  "in  the 
beauty  of  holiness  ?  "  The  worship  in  the  closet 
is  another  affair. 

Others  again,  talk  simply  about  worshipping  in 
caves,  the  open  air,  &c,  and  instance  the  Disci- 
ples, who,  in  the  beautiful  words  of  Bishop  Taylor, 
"were  constrained  to  sing  hymns  to  Christ  in  dark 
places  and  retirements."  How  was  it  when  the 
church  come  to  be  established  by  law  ?  We  are 
told  that  at  Antioch  and  elsewhere,  the  worship 
was  conducted  with  ceremony. 

"  Eusebius,  in  speaking  of  the  consecration  of  the  Roman 
churches  during  the  reign  of  Constantine,  the  first  Chris- 
tian Emperor,  says,  that  '  there  was  one  common  consent 
in  chanting  forth  the  praises  of  God  :  the  performance  of 
the  Service  was  exact,  the  rites  of  the  church  decent  and 
majestic :  and  there  was  a  place  appointed  for  those  who 
sung  psalms  :  youths  and  virgins,  old  men  and  young.' 

"  Philo,  speaking  of  the  early  Christian  assemblies,  says : 


120  HINTS     CONCERNING 

'  They  then  chanted  hymns  in  honor  of  God,  composed  in 
different  measures  and  modulations,  now  singing  together, 
and  now  answering  each  other  by  turns.' 

"  Music  is  said  by  some  of  the  fathers  to  Lave  drawn  the 
Gentiles  frequently  into  the  church  through  mere  curiosity ; 
toho  liked  its  ceremonies  so  well  that  they  were  baptized 
before  their  departure." — Dr.  Burney. 

Are  men  to  approach  the  Most  High  in  the  fash- 
ionable and  debilitated  diction  of  the  day,  or  in 
words  the  most  significant,  dignified  and  beautiful, 
which  the  heart  of  man  can  conceive  ?  Are  the 
ceremonies  of  His  courts  to  be  degraded  beneath 
those  of  a  common  court  of  justice  ?  Surely,  the 
words  spoken  at  the  altar,  as  well  as  the  music, 
ought  to  conform  in  some  degree  to  the  majesty 
of  that  Being  in  whose  service  they  are  employed. 

A  writer  in  "  The  Independent,"  who  seems  to 
be  in  favor  of  praying  at  random,  says  :  "  We  have 
known  men,  whose  extempore  confessions  of  sin 
were  deeper,  and  more  profoundly  affecting  and 
beautiful,  than  the  English  Church  Litany."  Now, 
admitting  this  extravagant  statement  to  be  true,  we 
must  infer  that  such  men  are  very  scarce.  "  We 
have  known  men,"  he  says.  But  supposing  that 
a  few  such  curious  men  do  exist,  as  can  eclipse 
the  litany  in  their  extempore  efforts ;  and  that 
ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  of  the  balance 
arc  wholly  incompetent  to  perform  such  a  service, 


CHURCH    MUSIC.  121 

and  often  bring  scandal  upon  the  church ;  then 
what  becomes  of  the  argument  ? 

The  Scriptures  describe  three  sorts  of  prayer  — 
silent,  private,  and  common  or  public  prayer.  The 
first  is  described  by  St.  Paul,  when  he  says :  "  I 
will  that  men  pray  in  every  place,  lifting  up  pure 
hands,  without  wrath  and  striving,"  and  which  is 
to  be  done  "  without  ceasing."  The  second  sort 
of  prayer  is  described  in  the  Gospel  of  St.  Mat- 
thew :  "  When  thou  prayest,  enter  into  thy  secret 
closet,"  &c.  Of  public  prayer,  the  Saviour  speaks 
in  these  words :  "  If  two  of  you  shall  agree  upon 
earth,  upon  any  thing,  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask, 
my  Father,  which  is  in  heaven,  shall  do  it  for 
you ;  for  wheresoever  two  or  three  are  gathered 
together  in  my  name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of 
them." 

In  private  devotion,  men  can  conform  to  their 
own  individual  wants  and  circumstances,  or  can 
launch  out  into  all  such  fashionable,  quaint, 
arnbiguous,  enthusiastic,  bombastic  and  familiar 
expressions,  as  may  satisfy  themselves.  In  public 
worship  it  is  quite  the  contrary.  In  the  latter,  says 
a  British  writer, 

"  Since  it  is  impossible  to  enter  into  any  man's  private 
circumstances,  we  must  have  such  a  form  as  shall  be  gener- 
ally and  universally  applicable ;  so  that  we  may  confess 

11 


122  HINTS     CONCERNING 

what  all  are  guilty  of ;  praise  God  for  the  benefits  which 
all  have  received ;  pray  for  what  we  need  as  a  church  and 
a  people.  The  subjects  of  public  prayer  must  be  limited  to 
those  which  all  can  join  in ;  the  language  too,  must  be 
calm  and  dignified,  clothed  in  words  that  shall  come  home 
to  the  feelings  of  the  simplest  and  poorest  and  most  igno- 
rant. For  these,  probably,  and  for  like  reasons,  we  find 
the  church  of  God  in  all  ages  using  previously  composed 
forms  of  prayer  and  thanksgiving.     *     *     *     * 

Now,  it  is  remarkable  that  when,  in  process  of  time,  the 
Gentiles  came  to  be  grafted  into  the  ancient  stock  of  God's 
people,  He  who  was  the  light  of  the  Gentiles,  even  our 
blessed  Lord  himself,  was  pleased  to  continue  in  our  church 
the  very  forms  that  were  used  in  theirs.  Every  body 
knows  that  Christ  bequeathed  to  the  church  a  form  of 
prayer  to  be  used  by  his  disciples  ;  but  every  body  does  not 
know  that  the  form  in  question  is  taken  almost  word  for 
word  out  of  the  Jewish  liturgies.  Such,  nevertheless,  is 
the  fact.  Every  petition  in  the  Lord's  Prayer,  every  word 
(with  the  exception  of  the  single  clause,  '  as  we  forgive 
them  that  trespass  against  us,')  was  in  common  use  among 
the  Jews  of  that  period.  So  far,  it  has  been  remarked,  was 
the  Lord  of  the  church  from  despising  any  thing  because  it 
was  a  form. 

"  That  the  apostles  continued  to  use  forms,  and  this  one 
form  in  particular,  we  learn  from  the  early  Christian 
writers.  Nor  are  the  Scriptures  wanting  in  intimations 
which  lead  us  to  the  same  conclusion." 

Jeremy  Taylor  says  of  extempore  prayers  : 

"They  are  indeliberate,  unstudied,  sudden  conceptions, 
begotten  and  born  in  the  same  minute,  and,  therefore,  not 
likely  to  be  better  than  all  those  other  productions  of  the 


CHURCH    MUSIC.  123 

world,  which  by  being  sudden  and  hasty,  have  an  inevitable 
fate  to  be  useless  and  good  for  nothing, 

11  For  what  greater  disparagement  in  the  world  can  there 
be  to  him  that  speaks,  or  to  the  thing  spoken,  than  to  say  it 
was  spoken  rashly  or  inconsiderately  ?  And  certain  it  is, 
if  any  man  intends  to  speak  wisely  and  well,  he  does  not 
vomit  out  his  answers,  as  a  fool  does  secrets ;  he  is  sick  till 
they  are  out,  and  when  they  are,  they  are  loathsome.  To 
do  so  is  against  the  virtue  of  religion ;  it  is  doing  the  work 
of  the  Lord  negligently,  and  to  this  is  to  be  imputed  all 
those  unhandsome  issues  of  a  sudden  tongue,  which  so  ill 
become  religion,  that  they  very  often  minister  offence  to 
wise  and  godly  persons  of  all  persuasions. 

"  Hasty  and  unstudied  prayers  are  against  Scripture ; 
expressly,  I  say,  against  the  word  of  God,  whose  Spirit  hath 
commanded  thus  :  '  Be  not  rash  with  thy  mouth,  and  be 
not  hasty  to  utter  any  thing  before  God.' " 

Who  has  not  been  disgusted  with  the  vulgar 
twang  of  the  Baptist,  or  the  poetical,  bombastic,  or 
affected  style  of  the  Unitarian  in  prayer  ?  "With 
what  shocking  familiarity  and  confidence  does  the 
Calvinist  approach  the  Divine  Majesty,  —  as  one 
who  "  knoweth  the  mind  of  the  Lord,"  or  as  if  he 
had  "  been  His  counsellor."  Such  efforts  are  called 
prayers,  but  they  are  oftentimes  theological  essays, 
wherein  the  speaker  endeavors  to  impress  upon 
his  hearers  the  favorite  points  of  his  creed.  These 
.so-called  prayers  are  sometimes  more  like  a  ser- 
mon than  a  prayer,  and  if  the  half  of  them  had 


124  HINTS     CONCERNING 

been  answered  literally,  no  doubt  the  universe 
might  have  been  destroyed  long  ago. 

If  the  gay  pageantry,  the  mystical  rites  and 
imposing  ceremonies  of  the  Popish  churches,  im- 
press the  imagination,  and  are  so  potent  over  the 
illiterate,  the  Protestants  ought  to  establish  a  rea- 
sonable substitute  —  such  decent  ceremonies  as 
may  commend  themselves  to  the  understanding, 
and  correspond  with  the  greatness  of  divine  wor- 
ship. Who  has  not  observed  the  astonishment 
with  which  a  Catholic  looks  into  one  of  our  barren 
Congregational  churches  ?  He  sees  there  nothing 
to  remind  him  of  a  place  of  worship  —  nothing  to 
distinguish  it  from  a  lecture-room.  The  idea  of 
converting  a  Papist  to  Congregationalism  is  as 
preposterous  as  it  is  undesirable. 

But  for  various  and  obvious  reasons,  there  must 
soon  be  a  change  in  our  "  great  Protestant  con- 
glomerate," as  that  sharp  writer,  Brownson,  rather 
aptly  styles  it.  First,  because  in  its  present  dis- 
tracted state,  the  various  sects  must  soon  strangle 
themselves  by  their  own  divisions  and  contentions. 
Very  meagre  is  the  number  of  churches  that  can 
now  support  their  worship  without  an  extraordi- 
nary effort.  Indeed,  some  have  failed,  and  their 
creditors  have  suffered.  What  an  idea  for  a  Chris- 
tian church  to  fail !     "  Owe  no  man  any  thing.' ' 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  125 

Having  no  church  government,  every  disaffected 
clique  is  allowed  to  build  a  church,  and  is  forth- 
with admitted  into  the  various  communions.  The 
Calvinists  and  Unitarians  have  been  so  eager  for 
proselytes,  and  have  built  so  many  churches,  that 
some  of  both  sects  have  had  to  surrender,  and  be 
carried  to  the  rear  in  a  crippled  condition.  They 
are  even  obliged  to  carry  on  a  kind  of  ecclesias- 
tical piracy  amongst  themselves,  by  striving  to  get 
the  preacher  who  will  draw  the  best  houses.  In 
short,  the  church  seems  to  be  managed  and  sus- 
tained in  the  same  way,  and  by  the  same  secular 
appliances,  as  any  ordinary  worldly  business  ;  that 
is,  by  "  puffing "  in  the  newspapers,  and  by  that 
kind  of  esprit  de  corps  which  is  common  in  mili- 
tary companies  and  political  societies.  There  is  as 
much  competition  among  some  of  our  churches 
as  there  is  between  places  of  amusement,  and  the 
strife  is,  to  see  which  can  furnish  the  most  pleasing 
entertainment.  One  may  sometimes  hear  great 
boasting  about  certain  abominable  musical  per- 
formances, and  ad  captandum  sermons  upon  the 
latest  railroad  or  steamboat  disaster,  which  are  put 
forth  as  attractions,  and  inducements  to  buy  pews  ; 
and  as  for  tea-parties,  social  festivals,  railroad  ex- 
cursions, levees,  debating  clubs,  and  the  like,  the 
church  seems  to  rival  all  other  bodies.  We  often 
11* 


126  HINTS     CONCERNING 

see  it  noted  in  the  newspapers,  that  a  certain 
church  on  such  a  day  made  an  excursion  to  such 
a  grove  or  pond  ;  and  cheek  by  jowl  with  it,  that 
a  certain  fire-company  made  an  excursion,  and 
fired  at  a  target,  &c.  In  all  the  lectures  before  the 
"  Christian  Union,"  we  have  heard  no  account  of 
any  tea-parties  in  the  primitive  churches  ;  but  per- 
haps Chrysostom  and  the  fathers  were  not  fond  of 
tea.  Amongst  other  attractions  at  a  Fair  held  by 
a  certain  Protestant  church,  not  long  ago,  was  a 
"  veritable  copy  of  the  celebrated  Cartoon,  repre- 
senting the  Saviour  in  the  act  of  delivering  the 
keys  to  St.  Peter."   ( !  ) 

A  church,  having  pews  to  sell,  advertises  in  this 
wise : 

"  We  would  call  attention  to  the  sale  of  pews  in 


Church,  this  evening.  With  a  Pastor  of  rare  worth,  and 
music  in  the  hands  of  one  of  our  most  accomplished  organ- 
ists, and  with  a  church  interior  as  beautiful,  or  more  so, 
than  any  in  town,  we  doubt  not  it  will  be  a  most  profitable 
and  inviting  place  of  worship." 

Here  is  another  sample  of  newspaper  puffing  : 

"  Mrs. yesterday  made  her  debut  at Church, 

where  she  has  been  permanently  engaged  as  the  leading 
female  vocalist.  Her  performance  gave  the  utmost  satis- 
faction, and  was  the  theme  of  general  commendation." 

One  of  the  most  novel  speculations  which  the 
church  has  recently  entered  into,  is  that  of  buying 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  127 

up  old  theatres,  under  the  plea  of  rescuing  them 
from  the  devil. 

Owing  to  the  shattered  and  poor  condition  of 
the  churches,  it  sems  to  be  the  great  aim  to 
make  the  building  "  pay  the  best ; "  consequently, 
we  frequently  find  quack  doctors,  butchers,  tailors, 
banks,  &c,  occupying  the  basement  of  the  build- 
ing, and  in  one  case  a  millinery  establishment  in 
the  garret ;  thus,  in  place  of  the  laws  of  God, 
Mammon  nails  his  signs  to  the  door-posts  of  the 
sanctuary,  and  stands  ready  to  embrace  us  upon 
the  very  threshold.  In  fact,  the  church  seems  to 
be  degraded  to  the  very  depth  of  secularity,  re- 
minding one  strongly  of  an  apt  hint  by  Judge 
Thomas,  in  a  recent  lecture ;  viz.,  that  instead  of 
subduing  the  world,  the  world  has  subdued  us. 

The  following  is  cut  from  a  newspaper  : 

"  Sale  or  Pews.  —  The  sale  took  place  last  evening  in 
the Church.     Premiums  on  those  offered  ranged  from 

$5  to  $75." 

There  seems  to  be  but  little  difference  between 
this  pew  system  and  the  sale  of  boxes  at  the  opera- 
house.  On  these  pews  may  sometimes  be  seen 
great  prison-locks,  to  keep  out  the  heathen,  and 
the  sexton  is  ordered  to  let  nobody  into  these  pews 
while  the  proprietors  are  absent  at  their  summer 
residences.     The  pews,  in  some  of  the  Episcopal 


128  HINTS     CONCERNING 

churches  even,  answer  to  boxes  at  the  theatre,  in 
which  the  worshippers  ensconce  themselves,  and 
expect  to  be  amused.  The  organist,  perchance,  is 
pronounced  "  incompetent,"  if  he  only  desires  to 
establish  religious  music,  and  will  not  condescend 
to  play  secular  music,  and  give  imitations  of  the 
Last  Trump,  on  the  organ !  One  of  the  Wardens 
of  such  a  church  in  Boston,  recently  proposed  that 
there  should  be  established  separate  classes  in  the 
Sunday  School  for  the  poorer  children,  because  the 
rich  objected  to  having  their  children  mingle  with 
the  poor.  This  church  bears  the  name  of  an 
apostle,  and  let  us  see  what  another  great  apostle 
says  on  this  head  : 

"  My  brethren,  have  not  the  faith  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Lord  of  glory,  with  respect  of 
persons.  For  if  there  come  into  your  assembly  a 
man  with  a  gold  ring,  in  goodly  apparel,  and 
there  come  in  also  a  poor  man  in  vile  raiment ; 
and  ye  have  respect  to  him  that  weareth  the  gay 
clothing,  and  say  unto  him,  Sit  thou  here  in  a  good 
place ;  and  say  to  the  poor,  Stand  thou  there,  or 
sit  under  my  footstool :  are  ye  not  then  partial 
in  yourselves  ?  Hath  not  God  chosen  the  poor  of 
this  world  rich  in  faith  ?  But  ye  have  despised 
the  poor.  Go  to  now,  ye  rich  men.  Your  riches 
are  corrupted,  and  your  garments  are  moth-eaten." 


CHURCH     MUSIC. 


129 


Let  us  now  see  how  the  service  of  the  church 
has  been  degraded  into  a  vehicle  for  amusement. 
On  Christmas  evening  last,  there  was  performed 
at  St.  Stephen's  Chapel,  under  the  direction  of 
the  organist  of  St.  Paul's,  an  evening  service,  as 
it  was  called,  but  in  truth  it  was  a  concert  inter- 
larded with  scraps  of  the  service.  If  it  was  wor- 
ship at  all,  it  must  have  been  the  worship  of  those 
who  are  described  as  "  rejoicing  in  the  works  of 
their  own  hands."  The  following  is  from  the 
printed  programme : 

"  Anthem  —  Lord's  Prayer  —  Versicles,  by  the 
choir  —  Venite,  by  the  choir  —  Creed  —  Psalm 
Tune  —  Collect  —  Commandments,  with  respon- 
ses—  Anthem —  Lesson  —  Solo  —  Lesson  —  Solo 

—  Lesson  —  Recitative  —  Solo  —  Evening  Psalm 

—  Gloria  in  Excelsis,  Mozart." 

On  such  a  semi-pagan  occasion  of  commingled 
worship  and  amusement,  the  Doctor  (?)  might 
with  propriety  have  closed  with  the  dramatic  cho- 
rus — "  Fixed  in  his  everlasting  seat,"  in  which 
the  contending  Philistines  proclaim  that  "  Dagon 
is  of  gods  the  first  and  last." 

That  the  grandest  and  best  music  ought  to  be 
used  on  festival  days  and  all  other  occasions, 
nobody  will  doubt ;  but  then  it  must  be  an  offer- 
ing of  praise  to  the  Creator,  and  such  a  service  as 


130  CHURCH     MUSIC. 

befits  a  house  separated  from  "  ordinary  and  com- 
mon uses,"  and  "  dedicated  entirely  to  the  service 
of  God."  The  performance  indicated  by  the  fore- 
going programme  was  advertised  as  an  entertain- 
ment for  the  ears  of  men.  The  consecration  ser- 
vice could  not  have  been  in  mind. 

Our  fashionable  churches  seem  to  leave  all  the 
real  Christian  duty  to  be  done  by  proxy,  that  is, 
by  the  "  Ministries  at  Large,"  chapels  for  the  poor, 
&c.  But  there  is  a  church  growing  up  in  our 
city,  where  the  poor  are  cared  for,  and  where  the 
service,  both  musically  and  otherwise,  is  conduct- 
ed according  to  Scripture  and  apostolic  usage. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Another  reason  why  our  Protestant  churches 
must  soon  settle  upon  some  uniform  polity  and 
adopt  a  liturgy  is,  that  unless  the  shattered  secta- 
rian fragments  are  united  so  as  to  present  one  un- 
broken front,  the  Pope's  forces  will  soon  trample 
them  under  foot.  The  common  defence,  there- 
fore, will  drive  them  to  such  a  course. 

A  Catholic  writer  says  of  Protestantism  :  "  When 
viewed  in  a  mass,  it  appears  only  a  shapeless  col- 
lection of  innumerable  sects,  all  opposed  to  each 
other.  We  only  find  among  them  particular  and 
exclusive  names,  commonly  taken  from  the  names 
of  their  founders,  of  which  I  could  furnish  an  end- 
less host,  serving  only  to  show  the  narrowness  of 
their  circle  ;  and  it  is  only  necessary  to  pronounce 
them,  to  show  that  they  contain  nothing  universal, 
nothing  great." 

That  old  cloud  of  puritanism  which  our  fathers 
were  under,  although  it  still  lengthens  ihe  chin  in 
some  quarters,  is  passing  away,  and  is  now  pretty 


132  HINTS     CONCERNING 

well  "  snuffed  out."  The  Calvinists,  a  few  years 
ago,  by  a  systematic  and  well  plotted  scheme  of 
protracted  meetings,  &c,  did  obtain  a  partial  revi- 
val of  it,  the  chief  results  of  which  were  the  sub- 
version of  all  good  neighborhood  and  the  crowding 
of  our  insane  hospitals.  Although  more  terrible 
in  its  results,  yet  it  was  somewhat  like  the  "  Hard 
Cider"  campaign  in  politics.  It  can  not  be  re- 
peated. 

Addison  says : 

"  There  is  not  a  more  melancholy  object  than  a  man  who 
has  had  his  head  turned  with  religious  enthusiasm.  A  per- 
son that  is  crazed,  though  with  pride  or  malice,  is  a  sight 
very  mortifying  to  human  nature  ;  but  when  the  distemper 
arises  from  any  indiscreet  fervors  of  devotion,  or  too  intense 
an  application  of  the  mind  to  its  mistaken  duties,  it  de- 
serves our  compassion  in  a  more  particular  manner.  We 
may,  however,  learn  this  lesson  from  it,  that  since  devotion 
itself  (which  one  would  be  apt  to  think  could  not  be  too 
warm)  may  disorder  the  mind,  unless  its  heats  are  tempered 
with  caution  and  prudence,  we  should  be  particularly  care- 
ful to  keep  our  reason  as  cool  as  possible,  and  to  guard  our- 
selves in  all  parts  of  life  against  the  influence  of  passion, 
imagination,  and  constitution.  '  A  man  should  be  religious, 
not  superstitious.' 

"  Nothing  is  so  glorious  in  the  eyes  of  mankind,  and  orna- 
mental to  human  nature,  as  a  strong,  steady,  masculine 
piety  ;  but  enthusiasm  and  superstition  are  the  weakness  of 
human  reason,  that  expose  us  to  the  scorn  of  infidels,  and 
sink  us  even  below  the  beasts  that  perish." 


CHURCH    MUSIC.  133 

Charity  is  creeping  into  the  ranks  of  the  Calvin- 
ists,  insomuch  that  the  Unitarians,  whom  they  once 
stigmatized  as  "  worse  than  infidels,"  are  now 
acknowledged  to  be  "  gentlemen."  This  is  a  great 
stride,  since  it  comes  from  the  Pastor  of  a  church 
that  was  built  expressly  and  avowedly  to  convert 
the  Unitarians. 

If  one  would  see  the  end  of  Puritanism,  let  him 
look  into  the  Boston  Music  Hall  on  a  Sunday,  and 
see  the  worship  degraded  into  a  political  harangue, 
or  a  scientific  lecture,  after  the  German  fashion. 
That  is  Puritanism  "  gone  to  seed." 

A  reliance  upon  preaching  alone,  will  be  found, 
in  the  long  run,  a  very  slim  dependence.  A  certain 
Unitarian  clergyman,  while  lamenting  the  condi- 
tion of  that  sect,  ascribed  it  to  the  want  of  preachers 
of  the  right  stamp  ;  but  the  real  difficulty  con- 
sists in  relying  on  preaching  at  all.  An  union 
with  Antioch  College  will  hardly  save  them  —  they 
had  better  return  to  the  ancient  practice  of  the 
church  at  Antioch,  adopt  the  liturgy,  and  estab- 
lish the  worship  of  God.  Preaching  is  intended 
more  particularly  for  the  heathen,  for  how  can 
they  hear  without  a  preacher ;  but  this  incessant 
din  of  preaching,  in  a  Christian  church,  is  a  Puri- 
tan humbug,  for  this  reason,  if  for  no  other,  that 
no  clergyman  living  can  produce  two  sermons  a 
12 


134  HINTS     CONCERNING 

week  that  shall  be  worth  the  reading,  and  many, 
we  know,  can  hardly  preach  at  all,  in  the  true 
sense  of  that  word.  A  Unitarian  Doctor,  while 
preaching  before  the  convention  of  Congregational 
ministers,  not  long  ago,  said  there  were  not  so 
many  clergymen  who  failed  in  their  sermons,  (or 
not  more,)  as  there  were  merchants  who  failed  in 
their  business,  thus  reducing  preaching  to  a  secu- 
lar pursuit.  But  what  right  has  he  to  fail  at  all  in 
his  sermons,  and  thus  bring  scandal  upon  the 
church  ?  And  what  right  has  he  to  preach  unless 
he  has  something  to  say?  If  he  preaches,  he  is 
commanded  to  preach  the  word,  not  to  give  a 
mere  intellectual  entertainment,  nor  to  preach 
sectarian  theology,  or  heathen  philosophy.  In 
the  long  run  it  will  perhaps  be  found  that  the  old 
English  custom  of  reading  sermons  is  not  a  vain 
one,  for  although  fewer  sermons  are  produced,  yet 
every  one  is  a  lion.  By  this  practice,  the  old 
English  ecclesiastics  have  immortalized  them- 
selves in  making  such  contributions  to  the  litera- 
ture of  the  church  and  of  the  world  as  can  never 
be  excelled.  It  would  doubtless  be  a  great  bles- 
sing to  many  of  our  congregations,  if  an  establish- 
ment existed  where  good  printed  sermons  could  at 
all  times  be  procured  by  our  clergy,  for  by  this 
means,   people  who  have   neither  the   means  nor 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  135 

the  time  to  buy  and  read  sermons,  would  have  the 
advantage  of  hearing  all  the  great  works  of  the 
ablest  divines.  This  excellent  custom  has  been 
often  ridiculed  by  our  people,  and  by  some  of 
that  very  sect  who  now  lament  at  having  "  de- 
pended on  the  top  of  society  "  for  their  preachers. 

But  there  are  indications  of  a  movement  towards 
a  liturgy,  among  different  sects,  although  it  shows 
itself  in  no  very  promising  form.  A  Calvinist  has 
proposed  a  sort  of  mongrel  liturgy,  after  some 
German  model ;  but  this  narrow  idea  was,  most 
happily,  promptly  met  by  a  writer  in  the  "  Inde- 
pendent," who  said  a  mongrel  liturgy  would  be 
worse  than  none.  It  is  clear,  that  any  narrow, 
sectarian  liturgy  must  prove  a  great  stumbling 
block  in  the  way  of  any  union  amongst  the  Prot- 
estants ;  and  unless  the  fragments  can  be  fused  — 
if  such  an  union  cannot  be  effected  —  perhaps 
more  than  one  "  Series  of  Letters  from  a  Jurist" 
may  be  required  to  keep  the  next  generation  in  the 
traces. 

The  Reverend  Doctor  Walker,  of  Harvard  Uni- 
versity, lately  had  occasion  to  allude  to  the  fact, 
that  "for  two  centuries,  the  Protestant  Reforma- 
tion has  not  gained  one  inch  upon  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,"  which  is  doubtless  a  mild  state- 
ment of  the  truth.     The  reason  is  obvious  enough, 


136  HINTS     CONCERNING 

for  the  Reformation  is  not  in  itself  an  acting  force. 
The  Reformers  swept  away  the  excrescences  and 
superstructures  of  popery,  but  did  not  divest  them- 
selves of  its  essential  characteristic  and  vital  prin- 
ciple, which  is,  spiritual  bondage ;  the  trammeling 
of  the  judgment  by  means  of  creeds,  dogmas,  and 
articles  of  faith  of  human  device,  those  spiritual 
yokes  which  have  filled  all  Christendom  with 
blood  and  murder.  The  moment  the  Nicene 
creed  was  promulgated,  murder  was  rife ;  and  it 
was  promulgated  before  it  was  established  by 
council,  and  thus  the  Arians  were  stirred  to  set 
up  their  theology. 

But  allowing  that  creeds  of  human  device,  like 
monasticism,  had  their  uses  ;  it  is  equally  true  that 
they  have  outlived  their  ministry,  and  have  ceased 
to  be  of  any  value.  As  all  the  damnable  abuses 
of  popery  subsisted  before  the  art  of  printing  was 
invented,  so  creeds  flourished  before  common 
schools  were  established.  Now,  most  of  the  old 
women  in  New  England  are  tolerable  theologians. 
Even  the  Apostles'  Creed,  that  broad  and  plain 
statement  of  the  Christian  faith  which  can  give 
offence  to  nobody,  would  be  of  no  use  if  all  could 
read  the  creed  as  it  is  written  in  the  Bible ;  but 
all  cannot  do  this  ;  besides,  such  a  succinct  state- 
ment of  the  belief  is  of  great  value  in  the  intro- 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  137 

duction  of  Christianity  to  the  heathen.  Other  than 
for  this,  the  people  have  no  respect  for  creeds,  for 
they  have  seen  that  the  makers  of  them,  in  com- 
mon with  their  fellow  sinners,  have  long  since 
tumbled  into  the  grave,  and  that  they  spake  not 
by  authority,  but  in  open  violation  of  Scripture. 
These  creeds  have  been,  and  still  are,  the  cause  of 
all  the  dissensions,  wars,  and  fightings  in  the 
church.  If  there  were  no  creeds  there  would  be 
no  heretics. 

It  seems  that  some  of  the  first  preachers  in  the 
church  committed  the  foul  error  of  setting  up  their 
own  theology,  and  this  was  deemed  of  such  vital 
consequence,  that  the  apostles  not  only  wrote 
letters  for  the  suppression  of  it,  but,  fearing  they 
might  miscarry,  sent  also  some  of  their  own  breth- 
ren to  speak  by  word  of  mouth,  saying  :  "  Foras- 
much as  we  have  heard  that  certain  which  went 
out  from  us  have  troubled  you  with  words  :  to 
whom  we  gave  no  such  commandment :  We  have 
sent  therefore  Judas  and  Silas ;  for  it  seemeth 
good  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  us,  to  lay  upon 
you  no  greater  burden  than  these  necessary  things." 
St.  Paul  said  he  "  kept  back  nothing,  and  shunned 
not  to  declare  all  the  counsel  of  God : "  and,  also, 
"  avoid  contentions  and  strivings  about  the  law, 
for  they  are  unprofitable  and  vain," 
12* 


138  HINTS     CONCERNING 

St.  Peter's  creed  was  very  short  and  concise. 
Here  it  is  :  "  I  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son 
of  God."  And  this  is  the  only  creed  that  was 
demanded  of  the  Ethiopian  magistrate  in  order  to 
baptism. 

Hear  what  that  great  apostle  of  modern  times, 
Jeremy  Taylor,  says  of  creeds.  That  magnani- 
mous, liberal,  and  godly  man,  seems  to  have  been 
one  of  the  very  few  thorough  and  consistent  re- 
formers. Who  has  not  shed  a  tear  at  the  reading  of 
his  sermons  on  the  Miracles  of  the  Divine  Mercy  ? 

"  For  it  is  a  demonstration,  that  nothing  can  be  neces- 
sary to  be  believed,  under  pain  of  damnation,  but  such  prop- 
ositions of  which  it  is  certain  that  God  hath  spoken  and 
taught  them  to  us,  and  of  which  it  is  certain  that  this  is 
their  sense  and  purpose  ;  for  if  the  sense  be  uncertain,  we 
can  no  more  be  obliged  to  believe  it  in  a  certain  sense,  than 
we  are  to  believe  it  at  all,  if  it  were  not  certain  that  God 
delivered  it ;  nor  is  it  consonant  to  God's  justice  to  believe 
of  him  that  he  can  or  will  require  more.  For  since  the 
apostles,  and,  indeed,  our  blessed  Lord  himself,  promised 
heaven  to  them  who  believed  him  to  be  the  Christ  that  was 
to  come  into  the  world,  and  that  he  who  believes  in  him 
should  be  partaker  of  the  resurrection  and  life  eternal,  he 
will  be  as  good  as  his  word. 

"  If  the  Apostles'  Creed  was  sufficient  to  bring  men  to 
heaven  then,  why  not  now  ?  If  the  apostles  admitted  all 
to  their  communion  that  believed  this  creed,  why  shall  we 
exclude  any  that  preserve  the  same  entire  ?  Why  is  not 
our  faith  of  these  articles  of  as  much  efficacy  for  bringing 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  139 

us  to  heaven,  as  it  was  in  the  churches  apostolical,  who  had 
guides  infallible,  that  might,  without  error,  have  taught 
them  superstructures  enough,  if  thej  had  been  necessary  ? 
And  so  they  did ;  but  they  did  not  insert  them  into  the 
creed. 

11  The  church  hath  power  to  intend  our  faith,  but  not  to 
extend  it ;  to  make  our  belief  more  evident,  but  not  more 
large  and  comprehensive.  For  Christ  and  the  apostles  con- 
cealed nothing  that  was  necessary  to  the  integrity  of  Chris- 
tian faith  or  salvation  of  our  souls.  And,  indeed,  if  the 
church,  by  declaring  an  article,  can  make  that  to  be  neces- 
sary, which  before  was  not  necessary,  I  do  not  see  how  it 
can  stand  with  the  charity  of  the  church  so  to  do,  especially 
after  so  long  experience  she  hath  had,  that  all  men  will  not 
believe  every  such  decision  or  explication  ;  for,  by  so  doing, 
she  makes  the  narrow  way  to  heaven  narrower,  and  chalks 
out  one  path  more  to  the  devil  than  he  had  before,  and  yet 
the  way  was  broad  enough,  when  it  was  at  the  narrowest. 
For,  before,  differing  persons  might  be  saved  in  diversity  of 
persuasions ;  and  now,  after  this  declaration,  if  they  cannot, 
there  is  no  other  alteration  made,  but  that  some  shall  be 
damned,  who  before,  even  in  the  same  dispositions  and  be- 
lief, should  have  been  beatified  persons.  For,  therefore,  it 
is  well  for  the  fathers  of  the  primitive  church,  that  their 
errors  were  not  discovered  ;  for,  if  they  had  been  contested, 
either  the  errors  must  have  been  amended,  or  they  must 
have  been  excommunicated.  But  it  is  better  as  it  was  ; 
they  went  to  heaven  by  that  good  fortune,  whereas  other- 
wise they  might  have  gone  to  the  devil.  And  yet  there 
were  some  errors  ;  particularly  that  of  St  Cyprian,  that 
was  discovered  ;  and  he  went  to  heaven,  it  is  thought :  pos- 
sibly they  might  so  too,  for  all  this  pretence. 

"  And,  therefore,  those  extensions  of  creed,  which  were 


140  HINTS     CONCERNING 

made  in  the  first  ages  of  the  church,  although,  for  the  mat- 
ter, they  were  most  true,  yet  because  it  was  not  certain  that 
they  should  be  so,  and  they  might  have  been  otherwise,  — 
therefore,  they  could  not  be  in  the  same  order  of  faith,  nor 
in  the  same  degree  of  necessity  to  be  believed  with  the 
articles  apostolical." 

The  apostles  recognized  the  right  of  private 
judgment  to  the  full  extent,  in  all  the  non-essen- 
tials of  faith ;  hence,  St.  Paul  gives  liberty  to  the 
church  of  Corinth  to  eat  idol  sacrifices,  so  that  it 
be  done  without  scandal ;  and  fifteen  Christian 
bishops  in  succession  were  circumcised.  "  And  it 
is  very  considerable,  (continues  Bishop  Taylor,) 
that  even  they  of  the  circumcision,  who  in  so  great 
numbers  did  heartily  believe  Christ,  without  ques- 
tion went  to  heaven  in  great  numbers.  For  her- 
esy is  not  an  error  of  the  understanding,  but  an 
error  of  the  will." 

What  we  want,  then,  is  the  English  Liturgy, 
based  upon  that  broad  platform,  the  Apostles' 
Creed,  and.  that  sect  which  first  jumps  upon  it, 
must  eventually  swallow  up  all  the  rest.  It  is 
Unitarian  and  Trinitarian,  leaving  the  judgment 
free  as  did  the  apostles,  who  enjoined  that  "  every 
man  be  fully  persuaded  in  his  own  mind."  The 
Unitarians,  although  they  boast  themselves  of  liber- 
ality, yet  manifest  their  creed  in  mutilating  the 
ancient  hymns  of  the  church.     The  "  Te  Deum," 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  141 

they  say,  contains  worship  to  Christ ;  but  what  of 
that  ?  Is  not  the  worshipper  free  to  judge  whether 
he  will  render  Him  supreme  worship,  as  very 
God ;  or  only  as  his  Son  ?  The  Scripture  says 
that  "  wise  men  fell  down  and  worshipped  him." 
He  must  be  a  very  astute  fellow,  who  thinks  the 
"  Te  Deum"  or  the  "Gloria  Patri"  necessarily 
enforces  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  The  Unita- 
rians stoutly  object  to  glorifying  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  yet  they  do  sometimes  take  the  last  words  of 
the  Saviour  for  a  text.  Were  it  not  for  a  few  such 
inconsistencies,  one  might  be  justified  in  the  belief 
that  they  had  "  not  so  much  as  heard  whether 
there  be  any  Holy  Ghost,"  so  pertinaciously  do 
they  prohibit  even  the  naming  of  it  in  the  praises 
of  the  sanctuary.  If  "  sect  is  sin,"  then  the  Unita- 
rian ought  to  clear  his  skirts  of  it,  and  not  set  up 
his  little  fine-spun  popery,  to  be  a  "  stumbling- 
block  in  his  brother's  way,"  and  in  the  way  of  that 
union  whereby  Christians  "may  with  one  mind 
and  one  mouth  glorify  God,"  according  to  the  in- 
junction of  the  apostle.  It  is  rather  late  in  the 
day  for  a  revival  of  the  old  Arian  antics. 

But  the  Unitarians  are  already  in  a  sort  of  trans- 
ition state,  like  a  crab  in  the  milk,  and  it  behooves 
them  to  see  what  sort  of  a  shell  they  may  crawl 
into.     It  is  a  sorry  picture  to  see  some  of  them 


142  HINTS     CONCERNING 

settle  down  upon  some  weak  and  unmeaning 
compound  of  a  liturgy,  thus  ignoring  the  idea  of 
any  thing  universal.  The  very  charm  of  a  liturgy 
is  its  uniformity,  so  that  a  worshipper  is  never  a 
stranger  in  church,  and  is  not  obliged  to  gaze 
about  in  order  to  see  what  is  going  to  be  done 
next. 

The  Liturgy  of  the  Church  of  England  has  been 
truly  called  the  concentrated  Christian  experience 
of  eighteen  centuries.  The  liturgies  of  all  Chris- 
tendom were  consulted  in  its  preparation, — no 
dissenter  has  been  able  to  point  out  a  serious  fault 
in  it.  It  has  withstood  the  test  of  daily  use  for 
three  centuries ;  it  is  as  fresh  to-day  as  when  it 
was  first  uttered,  —  and,  having  been  approved  by 
all  the  great  ecclesiastics  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, what  little  minister  of  our  time  will  be 
bold  or  silly  enough  to  attempt  an  improvement  ? 
Those  who  have  made  such  attempts  seem  to  be 
entirely  ignorant  of  its  history  and  plan ;  and,  be- 
ing led  by  their  sectarian  prejudices,  seem  to  aim 
only  at  an  alteration,  no  matter  how  absurd  and 
unmeaning  the  compound  may  be. 

Bishop  Taylor  says : 

"  The  liturgy  of  the  Church  of  England  hath  advantages 
so  many  and  so  considerable,  as  not  only  to  raise  itself  above 
the  devotions  of  other  churches,  but  to  endear  the  affections 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  143 

of  good  people  to  be  in  love  with  liturgy  in  general.  For 
to  the  churches  of  the  Roman  communion  we  can  say,  that 
ours  is  reformed ;  to  the  reformed  churches  we  can  say, 
that  ours  is  orderly  and  decent ;  for  we  were  freed  from  the 
impositions  and  lasting  errors  of  a  tyrannical  spirit,  and  yet 
from  the  extravagances  of  a  popular  spirit  too ;  our  re- 
formation was  done  without  tumult,  and  yet  we  saw  it 
necessary  to  reform ;  we  were  zealous  to  cast  away  the  old 
errors,  but  our  zeal  was  balanced  with  the  consideration  and 
the  results  of  authority  :  not  like  women  or  children  when 
they  are  affrighted  with  fire  in  their  clothes  ;  we  shaked  off 
the  coal  indeed,  but  not  our  garments,  lest  we  should  have 
exposed  our  churches  to  that  nakedness,  which  the  excellent 
men  of  our  sister-churches  complained  to  be  among  them- 


"  I  cannot  but  observe  the  great  wisdom  and  mercy  of 
God  in  directing  the  contrivers  of  the  liturgy  with  the 
spirit  of  zeal  and  prudence.  It  was  necessary  for  them  to 
stay  somewhere.  Christendom  was  not  only  reformed,  but 
divided  too,  and  every  division  would,  to  all  ages,  have 
called  for  some  alteration.  But  at  last  she  fixed,  and  strove 
no  more  to  please  the  people,  who  never  could  be  satisfied. 

"  The  painter,  that  exposed  his  work  to  the  censure  of 
the  common  passengers,  resolving  to  mend  it  as  long  as  any 
man  could  find  fault,  at  last  brought  the  eyes  to  the  ears, 
and  the  ears  to  the  neck,  and  for  his  excuse  subscribed, 
1  Hanc  popidus  fecit ; '  but  his  '  hanc  ego?  that  which  he 
made  by  the  rules  of  his  art  and  the  advice  of  men  skilled 
in  the  same  mystery,  was  the  better  piece.  The  Church  of 
England  should  have  pared  away  all  the  cannon  of  the 
communion,  if  she  had  mended  her  piece  at  the  prescription 
of  the  Zuinglians ;  and  not  have  retained  decency  by  the 
goodwill  of  the  Calvinists;  and  now  another  new  light  is 


144  HINTS     CONCERNING 

sprung  up,  she  should  have  no  liturgy  at  all,  but  the  wor- 
ship of  God  be  left  to  the  managing  of  chance,  and  inde- 
liberation,  and  a  petulant  fancy. 

"  It  began  early  to  discover  its  inconvenience  ;  for  when 
certain  zealous  persons  fled  to  Frankfort,  to  avoid  the  funeral 
piles  kindled  by  the  Roman  bishops  in  Queen  Mary's  time, 
as  if  they  had  not  enemies  enough  abroad,  they  fell  foul 
with  one  another,  and  the  quarrel  was  about  the  Common 
Prayer-book ;  and  some  of  them  made  their  appeal  to  the 
judgment  of  Mr.  Calvin,  whom  they  prepossessed  with 
strange  representments  and  troubled  phantasms  concerning 
it ;  and  yet  the  worst  he  said  upon  the  provocation  of  those 
prejudices  was,  that  even  its  vanities  were  tolerable. 

"  "Well !  upon  this,  the  wisdom  of  this  Church  and  State 
saw  it  necessary  to  fix,  where,  with  advice,  she  had  begun, 
—  and  with  counsel,  she  had  once  mended.  But  the  Com- 
mon Prayer-book  had  the  fate  of  St.  Paul ;  for  when  it  had 
escaped  the  Roman  sea,  yet  a  viper  sprung  out  of  Queen 
Mary's  fires,  which  at  Frankfort  first  leaped  upon  the  hand 
of  the  church ;  but  since  that  time,  it  hath  knawn  the 
bowels  of  its  own  mother,  and  given  itself  life  by  the  death 
of  its  parent  and  nurse. 

"  And  let  me  say,  it  adds  no  small  degree  to  my  confi- 
dence and  opinion  of  the  English  Common  Prayer-book,  that, 
amongst  the  numerous  armies  sent  from  the  Roman  semi- 
naries, (who  were  curious  enough  to  inquire,  able  enough  to 
find  out,  and  wanted  no  anger  to  charge  home  any  error  in 
our  liturgy,  if  the  matter  had  not  been  unblamable,  and  the 
composition  excellent,)  there  was  never  any  impiety  or 
heresy  charged  upon  the  liturgy  of  the  church.  The  truth 
of  it  is,  the  compilers  took  that  course  which  was  sufficient 
to  have  secured  it  against  the  malice  of  a  Spanish  inquisitor, 
or  the  scrutiny  of  a  more  inquisitive  presbytery ;  for  they 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  145 

put  nothing  of  controversy  into  their  prayers,  nothing  that 
was  then  matter  of  question  ;  only  because  they  could  not 
prophesy,  they  put  in  some  things  which,  since  then,  have 
been  called  to  question  by  persons,  whose  interest  was 
highly  concerned  to  find  out  something.  But  that  also  hath 
been  the  fate  of  the  penmen  of  the  holy  Scripture,  some  of 
which  could  prophesy,  and  yet  could  not  prevent  this. 

"  I  cannot  say  but  many  of  our  prayers  are  also  in  the 
Roman  offices.  But  so  they  are  also  in  the  Scripture,  so 
also  is  the  Lord's  prayer ;  and  if  they  were  not,  yet  the 
charge  is  unreasonable,  unless  there  were  nothing  good  in 
the  Roman  books,  or  that  it  were  unlawful  to  pray  a  good 
prayer,  which  they  had  once  stained  with  red  letters.  The 
objection  hath  not  sense  enough  to  procure  an  answer  upon 
its  own  stock,  but  by  reflection  from  a  direct  truth,  which 
uses  to  be  like  light  manifesting  itself,  and  discovering  dark- 
ness." 

"  But,  (says  a  Calvinislic  writer,)  no  convo- 
cation of  churches,  either  in  New  England  or 
out  of  it,  could  be  brought  to  agree  upon  any 
particular  form  or  extent  of  liturgy."  Why  not  ? 
Will  not  the  Calvinists  give  up  their  popery? 

Iu  brushing  away  the  follies  of  popery,  the  Re- 
formers did  well;  but,  if  the  corner-stone  is  to 
remain,  the  Reformation  has  gained  nothing  real. 
We  have  only  jumped  from  frying-pan  to  fire; 
for  we  have  seen  that  the  Protestants  can  roast 
the  bodies  of  heretics  with  as  good  a  relish  as  did 
the  Catholics.     Henry  the  Eighth  hanged  all  who 


146  HINTS     CONCERNING 

would  not  think  as  he  did,  and  Calvin  could  will- 
ingly assent  to  the  burning  of  Servetus.  Now,  if 
one  must  be  roasted  alive,  would  he  not  prefer 
that  it  should  be  done  secundum  artem,  by  a  real 
Pope,  and  not  by  an  imitation  Pope  like  Calvin 
and  others  ? 

Does  not  the  heart  sicken  at  the  cruelties  perpe- 
trated on  our  own  soil,  and  that,  too,  by  virtue  of 
law  ?  Heretics  scourged,  branded,  cropped,  sold 
as  slaves,  banished,  "  and  finally  hung  and  left 
unburied,  for  noisome  birds  and  ravenous  beasts.n 

If  it  is  objected  that  there  is  no  danger  of  a  rep- 
etition of  persecutions  like  these,  let  it  be  remem- 
bered that  education  is  no  safeguard.  Were  old 
parson  Wilson,  priest  Allen,  and  Charles  Chaun- 
cey,  ignorant  men  ?  Neither  can  the  former  per- 
secutions be  ascribed  to  the  errors  of  "  the  times" 
—  that  old  pack-horse  upon  which  are  saddled  all 
the  errors  of  our  forefathers.  The  doctors  of  divin- 
ity were,  and  always  have  been,  the  instigators  of 
all  cruelty  and  persecution.  It  comes  not  from 
ignorance,  but  from  the  bad  passions  of  men  ;  and 
man,  to-day,  is  just  as  much  a  man  as  he  ever  has 
been. 

Hear  what  Charles  Chauncey,  a  President  of 
Harvard  University,  said,  when  they  were  deliber- 
ating on  the  fate  of  six  Quakers,  who  were  impris- 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  147 

oned  :  "  Suppose  ye  should  catch  six  wolves  in  a 
trap,  and  ye  can  not  prove  that  they  killed  either 
sheep  or  lambs,  yet  they  have  the  plain  mark  of 
wolves,  therefore  ye  knock  them  down." 

Sewell  says :  "  Here  endeth  this  sanguinary  act, 
being  more  like  to  the  decrees  of  the  Spanish  In- 
quisition, than  to  the  laws  of  a  reformed  Christian 
magistracy,  consisting  of  such  who  themselves,  to 
shun  persecution,  (which  was  only  a  small  fine  for 
not  frequenting  the  public  worship,)  had  left  Old 
England." 

These  holy  Puritan  preachers  were  the  grievous 
wolves  who  destroyed  the  fair  lambs  of  the  flock. 
(See  Acts  xx.)  Like  the  Gnostics  of  old,  they 
thought  it  was  no  matter  what  men  did,  or  how 
they  lived,  so  they  did  but  believe  aright 

Seeing  then,  that  sectarian  creeds  have  filled  the 
Christian  world  with  blood,  is  he  not  in  some 
sense  a  murderer  who  sanctions  them?  for  who 
can  tell  how  soon  another  persecution  may  arise  ? 
What  has  fired  the  armies  of  Russia  during  the 
last  two  years  ? 

Sectarian  schools  of  theology  are  a  scourge  upon 
society,  and  the  world  would  be  the  gainer  if  the 
professors  therein  would  burn  their  books,  in  imi- 
tation of  certain  other  curious  men,  recorded  in 
Acts  xix. 


148  HINTS     CONCERNING 

What  have  these  men  been  doing  these  thirty 
years,  but  training  themselves  for  the  fight,  like  so 
many  game-cocks  ?  Their  study  is,  to  make  the 
Bible  bend  and  conform  to  their  creeds.  What 
evils  have  come  of  their  controversies,  wherein 
they  sting  each  other  like  Christian  wasps  and 
hornets.  In  consequence  of  this,  and  the  generally 
unsettled,  unsatisfactory,  and  divided  state  of  the 
Protestants,  it  is  a  notorious  fact,  that  great  num- 
bers of  the  best  and  most  devout  minds  in  the 
country  stand  aloof  from  the  church.  Sectarian 
controversy  has  been  the  most  fruitful  cause  of 
skepticism.  Nothing  is  more  common  than  to 
hear  it  said,  that  "the  Bible  is  pretty  much  like  an 
old  fiddle,  upon  which  you  can  play  any  tune  you 
like." 

Yes,  theologians  have  played  too  many  tunes 
upon  it ;  they  have  made  the  Bible  a  jest,  and 
have  speculated  upon  subjects  which  are  forbidden 
to  mortals.  They  have  made  religion  a  science, 
and  handle  the  name  of  God  with  as  much  famil- 
iarity as  the  chemist  handles  matter  in  his  labora- 
tory. They  have  even  attempted  to  analyze  the 
Godhead  —  to  solve  mysteries  —  to  find  out  God 
(with  whom  the  wisdom  of  man  is  but  foolish- 
ness,) unto  perfection  —  and  to  search  out  the 
ways  of  Him,  whose  ways  are  unsearchable  and 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  149 

his  judgments  past  finding  out;  who  thundereth 
marvellously  with  his  voice,  and  doeth  great  things, 
which  we  cannot  comprehend.  They  make  salva- 
tion to  depend  on  believing  their  creeds,  when  the 
Bible  says  it  comes  from  another  source,  How  is 
it  that  they  do  not,  like  Job,  hear  the  voice  of  God 
out  of  the  whirlwind,  saying:  "Who  is  this  that 
darkeneth  counsel  without  knowledge  1  "Where 
wert  thou  when  I  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
earth  ?  " 

Why  do  they  not  rather  anticipate  the  day  when 
that  which  is  spoken  in  darkness,  shall  be  heard 
in  the  light  ?  The  Scriptures  forbid  men  to  engage 
in  doubtful  disputations,  or  to  judge  one  another ; 
but  judge  this  rather,  says  the  Apostle,  "  that  no 
man  put  a  stumbling-block  in  his  brother's  way." 
Instead  of  "  walking  in  craftiness,"  etc.,  why  do 
they  not  hold  the  mystery  of  godliness,  without 
controversy  ? 

The  principle  of  the  right  of  private  judgment 
was  acknowledged  by  the  Puritans,  but  the  fact 
remains  to  be  established, 

Addison  says : 

"  There  is  nothing  in  which  men  more  deceive  themselves 
than  in  what  the  world  calls  zeal.  There  are  so  many  pas- 
sions which  hide  themselves  under  it,  and  so  many  mis- 
chiefs arising  from  it,  that  some  have  gone  so  far  as  to  say 

13* 


150  HINTS     CONCERNING 

it  would  have  been  for  the  benefit  of  mankind  if  it  had 
never  been  reckoned  in  the  catalogue  of  virtues. 

"  We  are  told  by  some  of  the  Jewish  rabbins,  that  the 
first  murder  was  occasioned  by  a  religious  controversy  ; 
and  if  we  had  the  whole  history  of  zeal  from  the  days  of 
Cain  to  our  own  times,  we  should  see  it  filled  with  so  many 
scenes  of  slaughter  and  bloodshed,  as  would  make  a  wise 
man  very  careful  how  he  suffers  himself  to  be  actuated  by 
such  a  principle,  when  it  only  regards  matters  of  opinion 
and  speculation. 

"  I  would  have  every  zealous  man  examine  his  heart 
thoroughly  ;  and  I  believe  he  will  often  find,  that  what  he 
calls  a  zeal  for  his  religion,  is  either  pride,  interest,  or  ill 
nature.  A  man  who  differs  from  another  in  opinion,  sets 
himself  above  him  in  his  own  judgment,  and  in  several  par- 
ticulars pretends  to  be  the  wiser  person. 

"  Interest  is  likewise  a  great  inflamer,  and  sets  a  man 
on  persecution  under  the  color  of  zeal.  For  this  reason,  we 
find  none  are  so  forward  to  promote  the  true  worship  by 
fire  and  sword,  as  those  who  find  their  present  account  in 
it.  But  I  shall  extend  the  word  interest  to  a  larger  mean- 
ing than  what  is  generally  given  it,  as  it  relates  to  our  spir- 
itual safety  and  welfare,  as  well  as  our  temporal.  A  man 
is  glad  to  gain  numbers  on  his  side,  as  they  serve  to 
strengthen  him  in  his  private  opinions.  Every  proselyte  is 
like  a  new  argument  for  the  establishment  of  his  faith.  It 
makes  him  believe  that  his  principles  carry  conviction  with 
them,  and  are  the  more  likely  to  be  true,  when  he  finds  they 
are  conformable  to  the  reason  of  others  as  well  as  to  his 
own.  And  that  this  temper  of  mind  deludes  a  man  very 
often  into  an  opinion  of  his  zeal,  may  appear  from  the  com- 
mon behavior  of  the  atheist,  who  maintains  and  spreads  his 
opinions  with  as  much  heat  as  those  who  believe  they  do  it 
only  out  of  a  passion  for  God's  glory. 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  151 

"  Ill-nature  is  another  dreadful  imitator  of  zeal.  For  this 
reason  we  find  that  most  of  the  massacres  and  devastations 
which  have  been  in  the  world,  have  taken  their  rise  from  a 
furious  pretended  zeal. 

"  I  love  to  see  a  man  zealous  in  a  good  matter,  and  es- 
pecially when  his  zeal  shows  itself  in  advancing  morality, 
and  promoting  the  happiness  of  mankind ;  but  when  I  find 
the  instruments  he  works  with  are  racks  and  gibbets,  gal- 
leys and  dungeons ;  when  he  imprisons  men's  persons,  con- 
fiscates their  estates,  ruins  their  families,  and  burns  the 
body  to  save  the  soul  —  I  cannot  stick  to  pronounce  of  such 
a  one,  that  (whatever  he  may  think  of  his  faith  and  reli- 
gion,) his  faith  is  vain,  and  his  religion  unprofitable." 

Nevertheless,  some  of  our  sectarians  hold  on  to 
Congregationalism  with  wonderful  tenacity,  not- 
withstanding the  most  zealous  and  enthusiastic 
among  them  cannot  allege  a  single  advantage 
arising  therefrom.  The  President  of  Amherst 
College  lately  undertook  to  define  Congregational- 
ism, although  he  said  it  was  a  difficult  task.  He 
said  it  was  "  a  system  of  common  sense,  applied 
by  intelligent  Christian  minds,  according  to  cir- 
cumstances, under  the  guidance  of  great  princi- 
ples " !  Well,  who  ever  heard  nothing  said  in  a 
more  formal  manner  than  this ;  and  what  else 
could  he  say.  What  those  great  principles  are, 
nobody  has  yet  been   able  to  tell. 

"  Devotion,  (says  Addison,)  when  it  dees  not  lie  under 
the  check  of  reason,  is  very  apt  to  degenerate  into  enthu- 


152  HINTS     CONCERNING 

siasm.  When  the  mind  finds  herself  very  much  inflamed 
with  her  devotions,  she  is  too  much  inclined  to  think  they 
are  not  of  her  own  kindling,  but  blown  up  by  something 
divine  within  her.  If  she  indulges  this  thought  too  far,  and 
humors  the  growing  passion,  she  at  last  flings  herself  into 
imaginary  raptures  and  ecstacies ;  and  when  once  she  fan- 
cies herself  under  the  influence  of  a  divine  impulse,  it  is  no 
wonder  if  she  slights  human  ordinances,  and  refuses  to  com- 
ply with  any  established  form  of  religion,  as  thinking  herself 
directed  by  a  much  superior  guide. 

"  Enthusiasm  has  something  in  it  of  madness ;  superstition 
of  folly.  Most  of  the  sects  that  fall  short  of  the  Church  of 
England  have  in  them  strong  tinctures  of  enthusiasm,  as 
the  Ptoman  Catholic  religion  is  one  huge  overgrown  body  of 
childish  and  idle  superstitions.  The  Roman  Catholic  Church 
seems  indeed  irrecoverably  lost  in  this  particular.  A  Goth- 
ic bishop,  perhaps,  thought  it  proper  to  repeat  such  a  form 
in  such  particular  shoes  or  slippers ;  to  this  a  brother  Van- 
dal, as  wise  as  the  others,  adds  an  antic  dress,  which  he 
conceived  would  allude  very  aptly  to  such  and  such  mys- 
teries, till  by  degrees  the  whole  office  has  degenerated  into 
an  empty  show.  Their  successors  see  the  vanity  and  incon- 
venience of  these  ceremonies  ;  but  instead  of  reforming, 
perhaps  add  others,  which  they  think  more  significant,  and 
which  take  possession  in  the  same  manner,  and  are  never  to 
to  be  driven  out  after  they  have  once  been  admitted.  I 
have  seen  the  Pope  officiate  at  St.  Peter's,  where  for  two 
hours  together,  he  was  busied  in  putting  on  or  off  his  dif- 
ferent accoutrements,  according  to  the  different  parts  he  was 
to  act  in  them." 

The  Episcopalians  in  our  own  country,  have 
the  absurd   and  popish  custom  of  changing  the 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  153 

dress  during  divine  service.  This  habit  came  not 
from  the  Church  of  England,  but  is  an  innovation 
sprung  up  in  this  new  land  of  the  Puritans.  It  is 
an  attempt  to  make  great  show  with  small  means, 
or  to  embody  the  offices  of  priest,  preacher  and 
gospeller,  in  one. 

We  want  neither  the  superstitious  mummery  of 
popery,  nor  yet  the  baldness  of  puritanism  ;  but 
the  golden  mean. 

With  the  exception  of  certain  abominable  sec- 
tarian mutilations,  aforenamed,  the  liturgy  of 
King's  Chapel,  Boston,  may  be  said  to  conform  in 
some  particulars,  nearest  to  the  English  liturgy. 
It  is  fuller  in  the  choral  department ;  the "  Mag- 
nificat," and  "  Nunc  Dimmittis,"  are  retained  ; 
whereas,  in  the  Episcopal  prayer-book,  they  have 
been  abolished. 

Anthems,  have  also,  for  the  most  part  been 
abolished,  and  there  is  a  continual  harping  upon 
psalm-tunes,  probably  through  ignorance  of  the 
fact  that  the  best  efforts  of  some  of  the  church 
composers  have  been  directed  anthemwise.  An- 
thems are  stated  parts  of  the  service,  and  amongst 
them  are  found  the  best  examples  of  devotional 
music,  which  ought  to  take  precedence  wherever  a 
suitable  choral  force  exists  ;  but  when  this  cannot 
be  accomplished,  then  is  the  time  to  substitute  met- 


154 


HINTS     CONCERNING 


rical  psalms  ;  "  which  have  been  permitted  in  the 
church,  (says  Dr.  Bisse,)  and  which  ought  to  come 
in  place  of  the  anthem,  after  the  third  collect;  and 
which  if  sung  elsewhere,  is  only  by  connivance  ; 
the  church  thinking  this  the  most  proper  place  for 
it,  where  there  is  a  sort  of  division  in  the  service. 
For  the  foregoing  collects  respect  ourselves  ;  those 
following  respect  others.  The  former  are  peti- 
tions ;  the  following  intercessions." 

"  In  choirs,  (says  Jebb,)  the  anthem  is  a  part  of 
the  liturgy.  Many  complain  of  weariness  occa- 
sioned by  kneeling  from  the  prayers  after  the 
creed  to  the  end  of  the  litany.  For  this,  however, 
the  liturgy  is  not  to  blame,  but  those  who  set  at 
naught  its  provisions." 

Although  the  foregoing  may  not  all  apply  to 
our  American  liturgy,  yet  the  anthem  is  worthy 
of  more  consideration  at  the  hands  of  the  clergy. 
Addison  says  :  "  I  have  heard  some  nice  observers 
frequently  commend  the  policy  of  our  church  in 
this  particular ;  that  it  leads  us  on  by  such  easy 
and  regular  methods,  that  we  are  perfectly  decived 
into  piety.  When  the  spirits  begin  to  languish, 
(as  they  too  often  do  with  a  constant  series  of  pe- 
titions,) she  takes  care  to  allow  them  a  pious  res- 
pite, and  relieves  them  with  the  raptures  of  an 
anthem." 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  155 

Some  of  our  American  clergymen  seem  to  be 
so  enamoured  with  the  sound  of  their  own  voices, 
that  they  object  to  the  singing  of  the  "  Te  Deum" 
but  once  a  month  ;  and  prohibit  the  singing  of  the 
"  Sanctus,"  which  may  be  considered  the  climax 
of  the  whole  service,  when  the  saints  below  are 
supposed  to  join  with  all  the  hosts  of  heaven,  in 
ascribing  praise  to  the  omnipotent  Creator  of  the 
Universe. 

Mr.  Jebb  says : 

"  The  early  hours  of  the  morning  are  those  in  which 
there  is  an  instinctive  impulse,  on  the  part  of  the  whole 
creation,  to  rejoice;  and  especially  of  all  true  Christian 
hearts  to  bestow  the  freshness  of  their  awakened  faculties, 
at  that  season  when  the  sun  is  rejoicing  to  run  his  career, 
on  the  happy  business  of  telling  God's  loving  kindness  early 
in  the  morning.  Such  was  the  feeling  of  the  primitive 
church,  whose  offices  of  lauds  and  matins  consisted  mainly 
of  thanksgiving.  And  such  is  the  feeling  of  our  church, 
in  this,  as  in  every  thing  else,  the  conservator  of  the  pure 
spirit  of  antiquity.  Her  matin  service  has  a  character  em- 
inently jubilant ;  for  instance,  the  '  Venite  exultemus,'  the 
1  Te  Deum,'  in  which  the  most  expanded  sentiments  of  praise 
are  joined  with  supplications  for  grace  during  the  tempta- 
tions of  the  coming  day ;  the  '  Benedicte,'  the  '  Benedictus,' 
and  the  '  Jubilate  ; '  and  especially  that  most  sublime  Chris- 
tian hymn,  used  when  the  resurrection  of  Christ  is  celebra- 
ted. So  that  on  every  account,  it  would  seem  that  if  on 
either  service  the  fullness  of  choral  accompaniment  should 
be  more  largely  bestowed,  this  is  due  to  the  morning." 


156  HINTS     CONCERNING 

How  different  are  some  of  our  semi-puritan 
clergymen  from  some  of  the  primitive  English 
clergy,  who  are  thus  chronicled  : 

"  Like  three  radiant  stars  in  the  firmament  of  heaven,  so 
shone  these  three  Abbots  in  the  citadel  of  Jehovah.  To 
the  fervor  of  devotion  and  the  warmth  of  charity  they  added 
the  possession  of  various  kinds  of  knowledge,  continually 
thirsting  after  the  service  of  God  in  his  holy  temple. 
Among  those  who  were  best  skilled  in  the  art  of  music  they 
excelled;  especially  in  singing  and  chanting  the  sweetly 
sounding  antiphons  and  responses.  They  gave  forth,  spring- 
ing from  pure  hearts,  melodious  praises  of  the  Almighty 
King,  whom  cherubim  and  seraphim  and  all  the  host  of 
heaven  adore ;  and  carefully  taught  the  boys  of  the  church 
to  sing  in  concert  to  the  Lord,  with  Asaph  and  Em  an, 
Ethun  and  Idithum,  and  all  the  sons  of  Chore." 

If  the  Protestants  of  America  were  to  establish 
one  broad  and  liberal  Christian  liturgy,  void  of 
offence  either  towards  God  or  man,  which  would 
seem  to  be  no  very  difficult  task,  what  then  could 
be  the  objection  to  a  general  contribution  for  the 
support  of  such  a  worship  ;  for  albeit  we  may 
have  a  church  without  a  bishop  and  a  State  with- 
out a  king,  yet  a  State  without  a  church  is  a  ques- 
tionable anomaly  in  the  world's  history.  It  seems 
not  a  little  inconsistent,  that  we  should  boast  our- 
selves so  much  of  civil  institutions,  and  neglect  to 
provide  for  that  which   is  the  corner-stone,  upon 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  157 

which  the  safety  of  the  whole  superstructure  is 
predicated. 

Notwithstanding  the  descendants  of  the  Puri- 
tans are  given  to  some  boasting  about  "  going  to 
meeting,"  the  late  British  census  reveals  the  fact, 
that  the  average  attendance  upon  church  is  twenty- 
five  per  cent,  larger  in  Old  England  than  it  is  in 
New  England. 

Dr.  Bisse,  a  British  writer,  says : 

"From  whence  comes  our  national  strength?  comes  it 
not  from  our  national  worship,  which  alone  induces  God, 
according  to  his  covenant,  to  come  and  dwell  among  us,  and 
to  be  our  God,  and  make  us  his  people  ?  Suppose  we  are 
strong  in  our  fleets  and  armies,  and  stronger  in  our  alliances, 
and  in  the  multitude  of  our  treasures,  which  are  the  sinews 
and  strength  of  the  former  ;  what  inducements  are  these  to 
God  to  be  our  God  ?  Will  he  choose  us  for  his  people  be- 
cause we  are  a  rich  people?  Will  he  dwell  among  us 
because  we  can  cause  him  to  dwell  in  safety  through  the 
defence  of  our  fleets  and  armies  ?  No ;  as  God  is  our 
strength,  so,  were  it  not  for  the  public  worship  offered  up 
day  by  day  in  his  holy  places,  He  would  utterly  depart  from 
among  us  ;  were  it  not  for  the  standing  sacrifice  of  the  tab- 
ernacle, the  Lord  would  remove  out  of  our  camp. 

"  All  this  was  not  only  acknowledged  by  our  governors, 
but  urged  by  them  as  the  conclusive  reason  for  establishing 
the  liturgy,  as  being  '  most  profitable  to  the  estate  of  this 
realm,  upon  the  which,  the  mercy,  favor,  and  blessing  of 
Almighty  God  is  in  no  wise  so  readily  and  plenteously 
poured,  as  by  common  prayers.'     The  same  acknowledge- 

14 


158  CHURCH     MUSIC. 

inent  was  repeated,  the  same  argument  urged  again,  by  our 
governors,  for  the  re-establishment  of  the  liturgy  after  the 
grand  rebellion,  that  dismal  interval,  a  cloud  and  scandal  to 
our  chronicle,  when  the  daily  offering,  with  the  liturgy,  be- 
ing made  to  cease  throughout  the  land,  the  vials  of  God's 
wrath  were  as  readily  and  plentifully  poured  out  upon  the 
state  of  this  realm,  if  it  might  be  called  a  state,  for  many 
years.      *      *      *      * 

"  These  cathedral  temples,  these  mother  churches,  the 
sure  resting  places  for  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  before  which 
the  daily  offering  never  ceaseth  to  be  offered  morning  and 
evening ;  these  are  our  strength  and  salvation,  and  are  of 
far  greater  use  and  security  to  our  people  and  to  our  land, 
than  all  the  watchfulness  of  our  senators,  or  policy  of  our 
ambassadors,  or  valor  of  our  mighty  men.  God  is  well 
known  in  these  places  of  our  Zion,  as  a  safe  refuge." 

"When  we  contrast  the  poverty-stricken,  barren, 
frigid,  or  decaying  condition  of  many  of  our  New- 
England  churches,  with  the  beauty  of  the  Church 
of  England  in  her  purity,  we  may  well  say,  in  the 
words  of  the  prophet : 

"  The  ways  of  Zion  do  mourn,  because  none 
come  to  the  solemn  feasts  ;  her  priests  sigh,  all  her 
gates  are  desolate : 

"  Our  holy  and  beautiful  house,  where  our  fath- 
ers praised  thee,  is  burned  up  with  tire  :  and  all 
our  pleasant  things  are  laid  waste." 


CHAPTER    XII. 

Having  hit  upon  a  proper  style  of  music  for 
divine  service,  the  question  arises,  —  how  shall  it 
be  performed  ?  by  the  whole  people,  or  by  trained 
bands  set  apart  for  such  a  service  ? 

It  is  evident  that  perfection  ought  to  be  aimed 
at  in  every  part  of  the  service,  and  the  only  ques- 
tion is,  how  to  arrive  at  the  greatest  perfection. 
The  singing  of  a  large  number  of  people  is  always 
the  grandest  and  most  sublime  and  impressive, 
provided  they  sing  harmoniously  and  well ;  but  to 
insure  such  precision  and  correctness,  three-quar- 
ters, at  least,  of  the  number,  must  be  able  to  sing 
promptly  and  well,  in  order  to  control  and  coun- 
terbalance the  other  quarter  who  may  sing  badly. 
In  order,  therefore,  to  insure  good  singing  by  a 
congregation,  at  least  three-fourths  of  the  people 
must  be  able  to  sing  well. 

The  question,  therefore,  whether  a  congregation 
will  perform  the  service  themselves,  or  will  set 
apart  a  choir,   could  be  very  easily  settled   by  a 


160  HINTS     CONCERNING 

musician,  who  alone  can  judge  rightly  in  the  mat- 
ter, because  there  is  nothing  in  which  people  are 
more  prone  to  deceive  themselves,  than  in  regard 
to  their  musical  abilities.  Many  have  an  earnest 
desire  to  sing,  although  nature  has  not  given  them 
the  ability.  For  this  reason  we  have  seen  several 
congregations  fail  in  the  attempt  to  establish  con- 
gregational singing,  even  in  the  city  of  Boston, 
where,  if  anywhere  in  this  country,  one  might  look 
for  success.  But  it  turned  out  otherwise ;  the 
people  were  deceived  in  their  abilities ;  feeble 
jargon  was  the  result,  and  the  old  satire  was  fully 
realized  : 

"  So  swells  each  windpipe ;  ass  intones  to  ass,- 
Harmonic  twang  !  of  leather,  horn,  and  brass  ; 
Such  as  from  laboring  lungs  th'  enthusiast  blows, 
High  sound,  attempered  to  the  vocal  nose." 

Singing  is  an  art,  requiring  study  and  practice, 
and  no  nation  or  people  has  been  found  to  sing 
naturally.  All  can  not  sing,  because  singing  re- 
quires a  musical  or  tunable  ear.  A  good  singer 
must  also  be  a  good  reader,  although  every  good 
reader  may  not  be  able  to  sing.  When  three 
quarters  of  the  people  have  the  natural  ability,  and 
are  properly  educated,  and  instructed  in  music, 
then  congregational  singing  can  flourish.  That 
such  is  not  the  case  at  present,  cannot  be  doubted  ; 


CHURCH    MUSIC.  161 

nor  is  this  likely  to  be  attained  till  a  more  general 
and  thorough  system  of  teaching  is  adopted. 
When  the  youth  are  instructed  in  the  simple  and 
majestic  melodies  of  Tallis  and  Farrant ;  and 
when  they  are  taught  to  chant,  and  thus  to  speak 
and  intone  the  language,  then  we  may  have  con- 
gregations of  singers.  Now,  we  find  that  some 
of  the  best  educated  men  are  guilty  of  the  great- 
est distortions  of  language  when  they  attempt  to 
sing.  In  modern  times,  we  have  no  record  of  any 
good  singing  that  may  be  called  strictly  congrega- 
tional. 

One  of  the  fathers  likens  the  responses  of  the 
people  to  a  clap  of  thunder.  This  sounds  rational 
enough,  when  we  know  that  music  was  a  severe 
study  with  the  ancients,  and  was  'the  ground-work 
of  all  other  studies.  Dr.  Pepusch,  one  of  the 
greatest  musical  theorists  and  antiquarians  of  mod- 
ern times,  (1700,)  entertained  the  opinion  that 
the  science,  instead  of  improving,  had  for  many 
years  been  degenerating,  and  that  what  is  now 
known  of  it,  either  in  principle  or  practice,  bears 
little  proportion  to  that  which  is  lost.  In  our  own 
times  we  know  that  the  music  of  the  church  has 
been  rapidly  degenerating  for  more  than  a  century. 
The  idea  that  music  is  new,  and  a  thousand  years 
younger  than  the  other  arts,  is  not  very  plausible, 
14* 


162  HINTS     CONCERNING 

since  we  know  that  it  was  accounted  so  highly  of 
by  the  ancients,  and  that  it  was  the  study  of  a 
life-time.  It  is  only  because  sculpture  and  archi- 
tecture are  of  a  less  perishable  quality,  that  some- 
thing of  them  has  been  handed  down  to  us. 

In  England,  we  have  accounts  of  some  ap- 
proaches to  congregational  singing,  but  not  very 
recently.  Two  or  three  centuries  ago,  (it  is 
recorded,)  music  was  very  widely  taught  and  un- 
derstood in  that  country.  "  At  the  time  of  the 
Reformation,  (says  a  British  writer,)  all  the  peo- 
ple who  received  any  other  kind  of  education,  had 
also  a  musical  education,  and  could  read  notes  as 
well  as  words.  The  compositions  of  Byrd,  Gib- 
bons and  Morley  were  everywhere  sung  ;  the 
choicest  madrigals  of  Flanders  were  imported  and 
translated,  and  thus  musical  knowledge  and  mu- 
sical taste  were  diffused  throughout  England  to 
an  extent  of  which  we  have  now  no  idea." 

"What  it  was  to  be  a  singer  in  those  times,  may- 
be judged  from  the  volumes  of  charming  and  not 
very  easy  songs  and  part-music,  which  have  been 
preserved  to  us.  Publishers  of  music  then,  knew 
something  whereof  they  published.  Now,  they 
send  forth  annually,  horse  loads  of  vulgar  rubbish. 

Thomas  Mace,  a  quaint  writer >  and  one  of  the 
clerks  of  Trinity   College,    Cambridge,   gives   an 


CHURCH    MUSIC.  163 

account  of  the  "  excellent  singing  of  psalms "  in 
the  cathedral  of  the  loyal  city  of  York,  in  the  year 
1644,  when  it  was  besieged  by  Cromwell's  forces 
and  others  ;  at  which  time  and  place,  as  he  be- 
lieves, "  was  heard  the  most  remarkable  and 
excellent  singing  of  psalms  known  or  remembered 
in  these  latter  ages. 

"  Now,  here  you  take  notice,  (he  says,)  that  they  had 
then  a  custom  in  that  church,  which  I  hear  not  in  any 
other  cathedral,  which  was,  that  always  before  the  sermon 
the  whole  congregation  sang  a  psalm,  together  with  the 
quire  and  organ ;  and  you  must  know,  that  there  was  then 
a  most  excellent,  large,  plump,  lusty,  full-speaking  organ, 
which  cost,  as  I  am  credibly  informed,  a  thousand  pounds. 
This  organ  I  say,  when  the  psalm  was  set  before  the  ser- 
mon, being  let  out  into  all  its  fullness  of  stops,  together  with 
the  quire,  began  the  psalm.  But  when  the  vast  concording 
unity  of  the  whole  congregational  chorus  came,  as  I  may 
say,  thundering  in,  even  so  as  it  made  the  very  ground 
shake  under  us ;  0  the  unutterable  ravishing  soul's  de- 
light ! 

"  By  this  occasion  there  were  shut  up  within  that  city 
abundance  of  people  of  the  best  rank  and  quality,  viz., 
lords,  knights,  and  gentlemen  of  the  countries  round  about, 
and  if  ever  such  a  congregated  number  could  perform  such 
an  outward  service  to  the  Almighty,  with  true,  inward  de- 
votion and  zeal,  it  was  done  there  and  then.  Because  the 
enemy  were  so  near  and  fierce  upon  them  ;  who  had  planted 
their  great  guns  so  mischievously  against  the  church,  and 
with  which  constantly  in  prayers  time,  they  would  not  fail 
to  make  their  hellish  disturbance,  by  shooting  against  and 


164  HINTS     CONCERNING 

battering  the  church,  insomuch  that  a  cannon  bullet  has 
come  in  at  the  window  and  bounded  about  from  pillar  to 
pillar,  like  some  furious  fiend  or  evil  spirit,  backwards  and 
forwards  and  all  manner  of  side  ways,  until  its  force  has 
been  quite  spent. 

"  And  here  is  one  thing  most  eminently  remarkable,  and 
well  worth  noting,  which  was,  that  in  all  the  whole  time  of 
the  siege  there  was  not  any  one  person  that  I  could  hear  of, 
did  in  the  church  receive  the  least  harm  by  any  of  their 
devilish  cannon-shot ;  and  I  verily  believe  there  were  con- 
stantly many  more  than  a  thousand  persons  at  the  service 
every  Sunday  during  the  whole  time  of  that  siege." 

It  has  been  the  universal  custom  of  Jews,  pa- 
gans, and  Christians,  to  employ  choirs  in  the 
service  of  the  temple ;  and  so  far  as  we  know, 
congregational  singing  has  always  been  the  excep- 
tion to  the  general  rule.  Choirs  of  singing-men 
were  instituted  by  St.  Ambrose  and  Chrysostom,  at 
Antioch,  about  the  year  350 ;  and  owing  to  the 
"  great  confusion  and  disorder  that  followed  from 
the  singing  of  the  whole  people,  it  was  found 
necessary  to  establish  what  the  church  calls  a  reg- 
ular and  decent  song.  At  the  council  of  Laodi- 
cea,  held  between  the  years  of  Christ  360  and  370, 
a  canon  was  made  by  which  it  was  ordained  that 
none  but  the  singing-men  of  the  church  should 
presume  to  sing." 

At  the  present  day,  we  hear  of  no  good  sing- 
ing by  a    promiscuous    congregation,  neither  in 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  165 

England  nor  in  our  own  country.  There  is  an 
occasional  exception  to  this;  —  say,  for  instance, 
Mr.  Havergal's  congregation,  where  the  conditions 
necessary  to  insure  good  music  are  complied  with. 
The  reverend  pastor  is  himself  a  good  musician, 
and  the  whole  congregation  have  applied  them- 
selves to  study  and  practice.  In  our  own  country 
we  have  some  instances  where  the  choir  occupy  a 
prominent  position,  and  together  with  a  powerful 
and  noisy  organ,  drag  the  people  along  after  them, 
but  this  is  not  congregational  singing,  nor  good 
music. 

There  are  some  persons  with  us,  who  seem  to 
have  made  this  subject  a  hobby,  and  who  entertain 
extravagant  notions  of  it.  They  say  we  can  have 
congregational  singing  anywhere,  and  that  the 
imperfections  are  corrected  and  swallowed  up  in  a 
large  number  of  voices ;  but  this  is  a  fallacy,  be- 
cause a  great  number  of  very  imperfect  sounds 
can  never  make  a  good  sound.  These  persons  are 
led  into  this  error  by  basing  their  experiments 
upon  wrong  conditions.  No  human  voice,  or  very 
few,  even  amongst  the  most  cultivated  singers,  can 
be  called  absolutely  perfect ;  and  it  may  be  true, 
that  the  slight  imperfections  incident  to  all  good 
singers,  are  corrected  and  concealed  by  the  union 
of  many  voices ;  but  if  the  experiment  be  made 


166  HINTS     CONCERNING 

with  untrained  and  wholly  uncultivated  voices,  the 
result  will  not  be  so  satisfactory.  All  we  can  say 
is,  that  the  lesser  number  of  bad  singers  may  be 
overcome  by  the  greater  number  of  the  good  voices. 
But,  in  its  best  estate,  congregational  singing  must 
be  confined  to  metrical  psalmody.  When  the 
church  cannot  command  a  good  choir,  then  the 
singing  of  the  congregation  is  the  best,  and  no 
doubt  this  is  the  case  in  many  of  the  small  par- 
ishes throughout  the  country,  for  they  are  so  divid- 
ed into  small  sects  as  to  be  unable  to  do  any  thing 
welL 

Congregational  singing  is  eminently  and  noto- 
riously a  Puritan  institution.  The  following  ex- 
tracts, from  able  and  reliable  writers,  give  us  some 
information  on  this  head : 

"  Calvin's  music  was  intended  to  correspond  with  the 
general  parsimonious  spirit  of  his  worship.  Sensible  that 
his  chief  resources  were  in  the  rabble  of  a  republic,  and 
availing  himself  of  that  natural  propensity  which  prompts 
even  vulgar  minds  to  express  their  more  animated  feelings 
in  rhyme  and  music,  he  conceived  a  mode  of  universal  psal- 
mody fitted  to  please  the  populace.  France  and  Germany 
were  instantly  infatuated  with  the  love  of  psalm-singing, 
which  being  admirably  calculated  to  kindle  and  diffuse  the 
flame  of  fanaticism,  was  peculiarly  serviceable  to  the  pur- 
poses of  faction,  and  frequently  served  as  the  trumpet  to 
rebellion.' ' 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  167 

The  Calvinists  were  used  to  go  hooting  about 
the  streets  at  midnight,  to  the  number  of  four  or 
five  thousand. 

It  was  about  the  year  1540  when  Calvin  con- 
ceived the  plan  of  exciting  the  people  by  means  of 
psalm-singing.  The  translation  of  fifty-two  of  the 
Psalms  into  French  verse  by  Marot,  was  continued 
and  completed  by  Theodore  Beza.  Those  by 
Marot  were  unaccompanied  with  music,  and  were 
entitled  the  "  Holy  Song-book." 

"  Being  put  forth  as  songs,  they  were  in  great  request 
fey  all  classes,  both  Catholic  and  Protestant,  and  they  were 
adapted  to  all  the  popular  ballads,  jigs,  and  dance-tunes  of 
the  day.  The  Dauphin,  afterwards  Henry  II.,  a  great 
hunter,  when  he  went  to  the  chase,  was  singing,  '  Like  as 
the  hart  desireth  the  water-brooks.'  There  is  a  curious  por- 
trait of  Henry's  mistress  recently  published,  on  which  is 
inscribed  this  verse.  The  Queen's  favorite  was,  '  Rebuke 
me  not  in  thy  indignation, '  which  she  sung  to  a  fashionable 
jig.  Anthony,  king  of  Navarre,  sung,  l  Stand  up,  0  Lord, 
to  revenge  my  quarrel,'  to  the  air  of  a  dance.  Singing 
psalms  in  verse  was  then  one  of  the  chief  ingredients  in  the 
happiness  of  social  life.  At  length,  when  these  psalms  were 
set  to  music,  and  were  appointed  by  Calvin  to  be  used  at 
his  meetings,  then  the  popular  use  of  them  ceased.  Marot 
himself  was  forced  to  fly  to  Geneva.  The  Papists  reviled 
and  hated  all  metrical  psalmody,  as  heretical,  while  the 
Protestants,  with  senseless  admiration,  considered  all  psal- 
mody that  was  not  metrical,  superstitious  and  Popish. 
We  need  scarcely  say  how  bitterly  church  music  has  suf- 


168  HINTS     CONCERNING 

fered  from  these  prejudices,  the  dregs  of  which  are  current 
in  the  vulgar  mind  to  the  present  day."  * 

Heylyn's  account  of  the  course  taken  with  the 
Marot  and  Beza  of  the  Church  of  England,  is  as 
follows : 

"  About  this  time  (1552)  the  Psalms  of  David  did  first 
begin  to  be  composed  in  English  metre  by  Thomas  Stern- 
hold  ;  who,  translating  no  more  than  thirty-seven,  left  both 
example  and  encouragement  to  John  Hopkins  to  dispatch 
the  rest ;  which,  notwithstanding  being  first  allowed  for 
private  devotion,  they  were,  by  little  and  little,  brought  into 
the  use  of  the  church ;  permitted,  rather  than  allowed  to 
be  sung ;  afterwards  printed  and  bound  up  with  the  Com- 
mon Prayer-Book,  and,  at  last,  added  by  the  stationers  at 
the  end  of  the  Bible." 

Some  people  seem  to  lay  great  stress  on  the 
injunction,  "Let  all  the  people  praise  Thee,"  —  as 
if  all  were  to  join  audibly  in  the  song.  How  can 
this  be  when  many  can  not  distinguish  one  sound 
from  another  ?  and,  if  it  were  possible,  their  praise 
would  be  limited  to  metrical  tunes.  On  this  sub- 
ject, Jebb  makes  the  following  remarks  : 

"  Much  has  been  said  of  what  is  called  '  congregational 
chanting,'  a  phrase  which  could  only  have  originated  in 
ignorance  of  the  subject,  historically  as  well  as  musically 

*  Nowhere  have  these  dregs  been  more  current  than  in  New 
England.  Our  Puritan  fathers  were  never  more  terrified  than 
when  a  church  organ  appeared  on  their  coast.     "  If  this  be  toler- 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  169 

regarded.  If  such,  a  practice  were  attempted,  our  musicians 
need  give  themselves  no  further  trouble  about  harmony, 
which  had  better  be  suppressed  altogether.  Melody  too, 
should  be  abandoned ;  in  short,  all  pretence  at  choral  ser- 
vice it  would  be  advisable  to  give  up.  Nothing  is  so 
difficult  as  to  chant  well  —  nothing  is  more  beautiful  than 
the  service  thus  performed  —  nothing  more  ludicrous  than 
the  attempt  of  a  congregation  to  scramble  through  it. 

"  There  be  many  to  whom  the  choral  service  is  the  best 
auxiliary  to  a  tranquil  devotion ;  who  feel  that  they  are 
really  joining  in  the  service,  when  contributing  only  in  a 
whisper  to  the  voices  of  the  choir.  They  believe  that  the 
best  of  every  thing  ought  to  be  given  to  God.  They  give  the 
best  they  can ;  the  internal  worship  of  their  hearts ;  but 
believing  their  audible  voices  would  but  mar  the  harmony 
of  God's  service,  they  are  content,  not  indeed  to  be  silent, 
(to  Him  they  are  not  silent,)  but  to  be  still. 

"  The  Psalms  can  never  be  properly  chanted,  except  by 
alternate  choirs.  If  otherwise,  the  effect  must  either  be 
heavy  when  sung  in  chorus,  or  meagre  when  chanted  by  a 
choir  too  thin  to  admit  of  division.  The  essential  character 
of  choral  psalmody  is  alternation,  and  where  this  can  not  be 
commanded,  it  is  much  better  to  read  them  parochially. 
Not  only  is  the  effect  of  the  simultaneous  chorus  monoto- 
nous, but  despite  is  done  to  the  character  of  the  divine 
poems  themselves. 

"There  is  a  custom  of  partial  adoption  in  Romish 
churches,  of  giving  the  chanting  of  the  alternate  verses  to 

ated,  (they  said,)  next  comes  Popery  !  "  This  old  prejudice  shows 
itself  to-day,  in  the  Episcopal  church,  where  the  more  intelligent 
are  trying  to  restore  the  service,  and  to  render  it  more  decent,  con- 
sistent, and  beautiful  ;  but  they  are  met  with  the  cry  of  Puseyism, 
Poperv,  &c. 

15 


170  HINTS     CONCERNING 

the  choir  and  the  congregation.  This  has  never  been  the 
custom  in  the  Church  of  England.  It  is  opposed  to  the  na- 
ture of  the  chant  itself.  The  parallelism  of  the  poetry  and 
of  the  music  requires  a  strictly  antiphonal  mode  of  perform- 
ance ;  a  correspondence,  not  a  contrast.  The  alternation  of 
Verse  and  Chorus  is  totally  destructive  not  only  of  the 
poetical,  but  of  the  moral  effect  of  the  psalms  :  a  considera- 
tion too  often  overlooked  altogether,  in  the  prevalence  of 
abstract  theories. 

"  St.  Chrysostom,  in  a  homily  where  he  is  most  urgent 
upon  the  people  to  sing,  admits  that  it  is  not  necessary  to 
do  so  audibly ;  he  insists  more  upon  the  spirit  of  prayer, 
than  upon  its  mechanical  exhibition.  If  edification  be  the 
object  of  divine  worship,  and  music  assists  that  object,  then 
let  it  be  perfect  and  consistent.  The  choirs  of  Israel  were 
not  congregational,  but  well  selected  bands,  set  apart  for  the 
purpose." 

There  are  some  persons,  who  raise  the  specious 
and  wily  argument,  that  the  people  are  cheated 
and  deprived  of  their  rights,  and  that  it  is  their 
solemn  duty  to  sing ;  but  what  gives  a  very  so- 
phisticated air  to  such  considerations,  is  the  fact, 
that  those  whose  consciences  are  so  tender  on  this 
subject,  have  congregational  tune-books  to  sell. 
The  arguments  that  are  raised  in  support  of  exclu- 
sive congregational  singing  may  be  urged  with 
equal  force  in  favor  of  congregational  preaching. 
If  printed  sermons  were  used,  and  the  people 
would  all  read  in  chorus,  not  only  would  there  be 
no  listeners  to  criticise  the  parson,  but  there  would 
be  no  sleepers. 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  171 

The  metrical  psalm  is  the  people's  song,  and 
they  are  always  at  liberty  to  join  in  it,  when  the 
poetry  allows  the  use  of  such  music  as  they  can 
sing,  and  for  this  the  clergyman  is  accountable. 
Congregational  singing,  although  limited,  and  the 
exception  to  the  general  rule,  is  nevertheless  wor- 
thy of  attention  as  such.  The  chant  being  the 
chief,  the  most  noble,  dignified,  expressive,  and 
important  song  of  the  church,  and  with  the  anthem 
demanding  a  choir,  —  and  the  choir  being  the  gen- 
eral rule  throughout  the  world,  it  is  next  in  order 
to  consider  the  construction  and  composition  of 
that  body. 

What  Lord  Bacon  says  of  all  instruments,  is 
especially  true  of  all  such  voices  as  are,  or  ought 
to  be,  employed  in  the  church,  viz :  that  the  mean 
and  low  tones  are  the  best  The  absolute,  high 
treble  voices,  then,  are  of  no  value  in  a  choir,  such 
acute  sounds  being,  like  those  of  the  fife,  better 
suited  to  dancing  and  fighting,  than  for  purposes 
of  worship.  Such  high  and  brilliant  sounds  ap- 
peal to  the  heels,  more  than  to  the  head  or  heart. 
The  employment  of  the  high  treble  voices  of 
females  has  very  much  injured  church  music  by 
crowding  up  the  pitch  in  order  to  render  such 
voices  effective ;  thereby  rendering  the  music  too 
noisy  and  brilliant     The  very  tones   which   are 


172  HINTS     CONCERNING 

most  wanted  are  entirely  useless  in  such  voices, 
and  if  the  pitch  of  our  church  organs  could  be  re- 
stored, and  much  of  the  old  music  were  also  to  be 
written  in  its  original  and  proper  key,  this  defect 
would  be  still  more  apparent.  What  can  be  more 
absurd  than  the  squeaking  of  a  lot  of  young  girls 
in  church  ?  Their  voices  are  altogether  too  thin, 
immature,  and  effeminate,  to  say  nothing  of  their 
mental  and  other  disabilities.  A  choir  of  male 
voices  would  be  far  better. 

The  low  treble  or  contralto  voices,  therefore, 
although  inferior  to  the  voices  of  boys,  are  the  only 
female  voices  that  can  be  of  any  value  in  a  church 
choir.  In  a  musical  point  of  view,  such  voices 
may  be  tolerated,  but  not  if  the  New  Testament  or 
the  Bible  be  taken  as  a  rule  of  practice.  St.  Paul 
expressly  forbids  it.  "  Let  your  women  keep  si- 
lence in  the  churches,"  is  plain  language  ;  never- 
theless, some  of  our  Puritan  churches  skirt  the 
gallery  with  damsels,  who  frequently  appear  with 
denuded  heads.*     This  girl-singing  is  of  pagan 

*  A  certain  writer,  whose  interest  it  is  to  sustain  girl-singing, 
recently  appealed  to  the  sympathy  of  his  readers,  and  intimated, 
that  we  in  America  were  more  advanced  in  civilization,  saying  that 
this  was  a  Christian  age,  thereby  intimating  that  St.  Paul  was 
wanting  in  these  particulars.  (!)  Whether  the  apostle's  injunction 
may  be  evaded  by  placing  females  behind  a  curtain,  in  an  obscure 
part  of  the  church,  it  is  a  question. 


CHURCH    MUSIC.  173 

origin,  and  before  choirs  were  instituted  in  the 
Christian  churches,  it  was  in  some  cases  imitated 
or  tolerated.  The  virgins  sung  to  the  praise  of 
Diana,  as  appears  from  the  following  hymn  by- 
Horace,  by  which  also  it  appears,  that  the  music  of 
the  pagans  was  antiphonal  or  responsive. 

Youths. 
"  Ye  gentle  virgins,  let  your  lays 
Diana's  virgin  fame  declare. 

Virgins. 
Ye  youths,  resound  Apollo's  praise, 
The  god  with  graceful  tresses  fair. 

Both. 
To  great  Latona  strike  the  lyre  ! 
Latona,  dear  to  heaven's  almighty  sire." 

Historians  are  unanimous  in  recording  a  regular 

service  with  solemn  music.     According  to  Euse- 

bius,  an   ecclesiastical   historian,  a  regular   choir 

and  antiphonal  chanting  were  first  established  in 

the  church  at  Antioch.     Early  mention  is  said  to 

be  made  of  "  chanters"  and  "canons"  to  officiate 

daily  in  the  church,  which  agrees  with  the  practice 

in  the  time  of  Solomon.     It  is  supposed  that  the 

apostles    chanted    the    Psalms    after    the    Jewish 

method,  which  was,  without  question,  very  solemn 

and  majestic. 

"  St.  Ignatius,  who   according  to   Socrates,  had 
15* 


174  HINTS     CONCERNING 

conversed  with  the  apostles,  is  supposed  by  some 
to  have  introduced  the  antiphonal  mode  of  chant- 
ing." 

The  voices  of  boys  have  been  found  to  be  the 
best  suited  to  the  purposes  of  worship.  The  tones 
are  fuller,  more  majestic  and  touching  than  those 
of  women.  Nothing  can  be  more  affecting  than 
the  hearty  singing  of  a  well  trained  band  of  youth- 
ful choristers,  and  he  must  be  a  stony  character, 
who  can  not  be  moved  by  the  voices  of  innocent 
children,  from  whom  the  praise  of  God  comes  so 
fittingly.  The  habit  of  praising  God  is  not  only  a 
means  of  education  and  refinement,  but  also  of 
advancing  the  religious  feelings  and  sentiments. 
The  seed  is  then  sown  which  will  some  day 
spring  up  to  good  account. 

St.  Basil  says,  (according  to  a  British  writer) : 

"  Whereas  the  Holy  Spirit  saw  that  mankind  is  unto 
virtue  hardly  drawn,  and  that  righteousness  is  the  least 
accounted  of,  by  reason  of  the  proneness  of  our  affections  to 
that  which  delighteth,  it  pleased  the  wisdom  of  the  same 
Spirit  to  borrow  from  melody  that  pleasure,  which,  mingled 
with  heavenly  mysteries,  causeth  the  softness  of  that  which 
toucheth  the  ear,  to  convey,  as  it  were  by  stealth,  the  treas- 
ure of  good  things  into  man's  mind.  To  this  purpose  were 
these  harmonious  tunes  of  Psalms  devised  for  us,  that  they 
which  are  either  in  years  but  young,  or,  touching  perfection 
of  virtue,  as  yet  not  grown  to  ripeness,  might,  when  they 
think  they  sing,  learn," 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  175 

The  Church  of  England  has  always  employed 
boys,  and  her  doctrine  has  been  in  accordance 
with  Scripture,  that  "  Hired  women  singers  ought 
never  to  be  suffered  in  the  house  of  God.  They 
may  join,  of  course,  in  the  music  as  private  indi- 
viduals ;  but  to  obtrude  them  into  orchestras  is  at 
war  with  the  retired  modesty  befitting  Christian 
women." 

At  the  time  of  the  Reformation,  the  old  cathe- 
dral choirs  —  some  of  which  were  incorporated  in 
the  twelfth  century  —  consisted,  as  they  now  do, 
of  from  twenty  to  thirty  singing  men  and  boys. 

The  following  extracts  are  from  a  letter,  written 
by  the  celebrated  organist  of  Westminster  Abbey 
to  the  organist  of  the  Church  of  the  Advent, 
Boston  : 

"  The  Abbey  Choir  now  consists  of  sixteen  boys  and 
twelve  men.  They  are  placed  thus  :  eight  boys,  two  Altos, 
two  Tenors,  and  two  Basses  on  each  side  of  the  choir.  The 
voices  are  equally  divided  between  the  '  Decani '  and  '  Can- 
toris' sides  of  the  choir.  I  much  wish  to  have  another 
Bass  on  each  side. 

"  The  services  we  use  here  are  numerous.  I  prefer  the 
really  ecclesiastical  or  full  ones ;  such  as  Tallis,  Farrant, 
Gibbons,  Bogers,  Patrick,  Child  and  Croft.  Of  the  mod- 
ern writers,  —  Travers,  Boyce,  Hayes,  Dr.  Cooke,  Robert 
Cooke  and  Attwood. 

"  The  old  services  —  using  the  Solfeggio  in  their  prac- 
tice —  are,  I  think,  the  best  for  grounding  boys  in  sight- 


176  HINTS     CONCERNING 

singing,  so  essential  for  an  effective  performance.  We  are 
in  the  constant  habit  of  singing  and  practising  all  the  orato- 
rios of  Handel,  madrigals,  glees,  indeed  every  style  of  vocal 
music,  excepting  that  of  the  modern  Italian. 

•  Let  me  counsel  you  to  be  firm  against  the  admission  of 
females  into  your  church  choirs.  I  need  not  point  out  to 
you  the  many  and  obvious  reasons  against  such  an  innova- 
tion. 

"  I  am  really  glad  to  know  that  our  American  cousins 
are  beginning  to  admire  and  value  the  cathedral  service. 
The  more  you  encourage  this  growing  taste,  the  more  you 
will  advance  amongst  your  countrymen  a  knowledge  and 
true  appreciation  of  the  musical  art." 

In  the  cities  of  Baltimore,  Newark,  New  York, 
and  Troy,  boys  are  employed  with  complete  suc- 
cess. This  must,  of  course,  be  attended  with  some 
expense,  because  a  competent  master  must  be  em- 
ployed, but  this  cannot  be  urged  as  an  objection 
by  any  Christian,  because,  if  he  grudge  a  few  dol- 
lars for  perfecting  praise  to  the  Giver  of  all  things, 
how  can  he  forsake  father  and  mother  for  Christ's 
sake,  or  sell  all  that  he  hath  for  the  poor  ?  A 
church  musician  ought  not  to  be  constrained  to 
support  himself  by  teaching  young  ladies  the 
"  Polka."  Indeed,  enough  money  is  now  expend- 
ed, by  some  of  our  churches,  in  silly  quartette 
singing,  to  support  a  majestic  and  decent  choir. 

In  our  own  city,  we  have  a  choir  of  boys  in  suc- 
cessful operation,  and,  although  it  is  only  just  in 


CHURCH     MUSIC.  177 

embryo,  yet  enough  has  been  heard  to  show  the 
superiority  of  the  system.* 

This  system  was  also  partly  introduced  at  St. 
Paul's,  —  without  funds,  and  by  the  voluntary 
efforts  of  the  late  organist  of  that  church.  On 
Christmas  Day,  1854,  it  was  even  brought  to  great 
perfection  and  grandeur,  but  Puritan  prejudice 
could  not  tolerate  it.  However,  this  is  not  strange, 
for  after  the  effeminate,  soft,  girlish  singing  to 
which  we  have  been  accustomed,  no  doubt  the 
majestic  singing  of  boys  seems  very  grave  and 
solemn.  It  is  not  strange,  then,  that  some  of  our 
clergymen  even,  should  be  guided  by  their  preju- 
dices rather  than  their  reason,  and  reject  such  mu- 
sic. We  read  mat  "when  the  chief  priests  and 
scribes  first  heard  the  children  crying  in  the  tem- 
ple, and  saying,  i  Hosanna  to  the  son  of  David,' 
they  were  sore  displeased.  And  Jesus  said  unto 
them,  have  ye  never  read,  Out  of  the  mouth  of 
babes  and  sucklings  thou  hast  perfected  praise  ?  " 

"  Observe  (says  Jebb)  with  what  defiance  of  expense  the 
English  Church  has  made  stringent  regulations  for  securing 
the  most  eminent  ability  for  the  setting  forth  God's  true 

*  An  English  writer  observes  that  public  worship  is  more  de- 
cently celebrated  at  the  Church  of  the  Advent,  Boston,  than  at 
any  other  church  within  the  United  States.  The  music  used  there, 
is,  we  know,  strictly  ecclesiastical,  and  the  services  of  Byrd,  Rog- 
ers, Aldrich  and  others,  are  sung  by  regular  choirs. 


178  HINTS     CONCERNING 

and  lively  word,  for  the  celebration,  with  all  skill  and  solem- 
nity, of  his  praise.  To  the  due  utterance  of  the  poetry  of 
Scripture,  she  has  brought  the  most  perfect  tones  of  the 
human  voice  :  to  the  hymns  of  holy  men  and  angels  she 
has  made  the  inmost  resources  of  melody  and  harmony  sub- 
servient, and  this  with  a  consistency  of  design,  as  perfect  as 
that  which  framed  the  liturgy. 

11  The  want  of  musical  knowledge  and  taste  among  our 
clergymen,  and  generally,  their  total  ignorance  of  a  true 
ecclesiastical  style,  is  lamentable;  many  consider  it  as  a 
matter  beneath  gentlemen,  and  are  content  to  delegate  to 
incompetent  men  whom  they  despise,  employments  which 
have  been  exercised  by  prophets  and  kings  inspired  by  the 
Holy  Grhost.  There  is  no  reason  why  a  clergyman  should 
not  be  as  perfect  in  church  music  as  amateurs  are  fre- 
quently in  secular ;  and  this  without  hinderance  to  other 
duties.  Clergymen  do  not  think  it  beneath  them  to  become 
accomplished  mathematicians,  and  to  go  through  a  training 
quite  as  technical  as  that  of  music ;  and  if  this  can  be 
undertaken,  what  stronger  motives  are  there  for  attaining 
perfection  in  that  which  is  a  sacred  study  ?  " 

Finally,  nothing  but  musical  education  can  cure 
the  evils  and  obstacles  incident  to  our  subject,  and 
especially  in  a  country  like  ours,  where  the  church 
is  nowhere  established  by  authority,  —  where  we 
have  nothing  but  private  chapels,  —  where  public 
worship  is  left  to  the  caprice  of  the  multitude,  and 
where  the  preacher,  and  the  musician,  have  to  be, 
to  some  extent,  just  what  the  people  please  to 
make  them.  If  our  colleges  were  musically  en- 
dowed, we  might  then  have  some  standard,  and 


CHURCH    MUSIC.  179 

our  "  committees  "  and  leading  men  in  the  church- 
es might  act  understanding^,  instead  of  being 
guided  by  the  taste  of  their  wives  or  daughters,  as 
some  now  confess  to  be. 

What  Harvard  University  needs,  is  a  second 
Dr.  Crotch,  if  he  can  be  found,  or  a  man  like  those 
talented  old  English  professors,  —  Dr.  Bull  and 
others,  some  of  whose  lectures  were  delivered  in 
the  Latin.  The  thing  to  be  taught,  is  the  funda- 
mental, ecclesiastical  style.  We  want  nothing  of 
"  Young  Germany,"  for  "  Harvard "  would  cut  a 
queer  figure  in  setting  up  for  teaching  polkas  and 
waltzes.  That  is  not  the  place  to  train  brilliant 
executants.  With  the  services  of  a  man  like  Mr. 
Macfarren,  of  London,  Harvard  University  would 
soon  annually  send  forth  a  band  of  clergymen, 
who,  instead  of  maintaining  indifference  or  oppo- 
sition to  the  music  of  the  church,  could  exert  that 
wholesome  influence  which  becomes  their  office. 
Who  then,  out  of  his  abundance,  will  serve  his 
country  and  promote  his  own  salvation,  by  making 
an  endowment  for  so  laudable  a  purpose. 

Bishop  Taylor,  in  the  preface  to  one  of  his 
works,  says  :  "  I  shall  only  crave  leave  that  I  may 
remember  Jerusalem,  and  call  to  mind  the  pleas- 
ures of  the  Temple,  the  order  of  her  services,  the 
beauty  of  her  buildings,  the  sweetness  of  her  songs, 


180  CHURCH     MUSIC. 

the  decency  of  her  ministrations,  the  assiduity  and 
economy  of  her  priests  and  Levites,  the  daily  sac- 
rifice, and  that  eternal  fire  of  devotion  that  went 
not  out  by  day  or  by  night :  these  were  the  pleas- 
ures of  our  peace,  and  there  is  a  remanent  felicity 
in  the  very  memory  of  those  spiritual  delights, 
which  we  there  enjoyed,  as  antepasts  of  heaven, 
and  consignations  to  an  immortality  of  joys." 


